MONROVIA – A U.S.-based charitable group, Kick for Christ, is in Liberia, providing assistance to several local and international charitable organizations, including Deaf Ministry in Chocolate City Gardnerville, outside the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
Items provided by Kick for Christ include: mattresses, cloths, shoes and jerseys.
The group also renovated or replaced bunk beds for more than twenty deaf kids at their homes in Gardnerville.
Speaking during the presentation on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the home of the Deaf Ministry, Kick for Christ’s head of delegation, Worteh Sampson, the charity organization was at the Care Home to replace bunk beds that were no longer useful for the kids.
Mr. Sampson said his organization also purchased about twenty-five mattresses, while the organization’s doctor, in the delegation, did basic medical check-ups, and the group issued some basic medication for the kids.
He said the delegation visited Bomi County, where it is planning to construct a recreation center for kids in that part of Liberia, through another U.S.-based charity organization.
“Doing this work is humbling and it makes us all happy. We all have families back in the States and to leave our families for few weeks to come here to do what we do makes us happy. We don’t want anything in return; we just like to put smile on people’s faces. We are Liberians, we’d been here, and we were here during the civil war, we know how hard it is to put food on the table. If we can put shoes on somebody feet, cloth on somebody back, a mattress for someone to lie on and just put smile on their faces, that’s enough for us.”
The Kick for Christ’s head of delegation said people that his organization is helping were selected through U.S.-based Liberians who know about the economic and medical conditions of Liberians back home. Then, the organization traces these needy Liberians through the directions or contact numbers or addresses they got from those who gave information about them.
Mr. Sampson said his organization doesn’t give cash to needy persons but it personally purchases what the needy person has asked for.
“One of the reasons why we actually do this ourselves is because there is a lot of dishonest people in this country. So, we want to make sure that the things that we are providing for the kids, reach the kids. That’s how we decided to come every year to hand it out to them.”
He said it is hard to find trusted people in Liberia, especially when you are not on the ground.
“Three years ago we brought 20-foot container full with things that we were just going to give out to different organizations and people, but there were lot of dishonest people at the Free Port of Monrovia that will not allow us get our container out of the port for over 14 days. It just makes it difficult to want to help people, so one of the reasons why we come is to make sure that the people we want to help are being help.”
Mr. Sampson said his organization’s humanitarian gesture is a reciprocation of Jesus Christ’s blessings to the group.
“As Liberians, we were able to get out of the country and successfully make living for themselves in the United States and not forgetting where we came from. The reason why we are back is to be a blessing to other kids back home and other countries.”
Kick for Christ got its charity status 2012, has made six trips to Liberia, and traveled to other countries including South Africa and Haiti, Mr. Sampson narrated.
“Leo and I are former professional football players and when we retired, we had a lot of used or gently used cycles, footballs, shoes and jersey lying around our house, so we decided to find a way to make it useful and so we started collecting, putting things together and started shipping back home to give away to kids and talk about Christ.”
Mr. Sampson said they have visited Children Aid Liberia, an entity that currently has 25 children that lost their parents to the Ebola epidemic in Liberia in 2014.
He said his team also visited Liberia’s School of the Blind, where they gave out some Braille, a writing pad used by visually impaired persons, for blind kids to be able to read. They also visited Rafiki village in Boys Town and took some football jerseys, shoes and other items for kids.
Despite the name Kick for Christ, Mr. Sampson said his organization has no connection to any church, but he and his friend, Leo, are believers in Christ and people are with them who just want to give back in the name of Jesus Christ because they are also believers.
“We have no affiliation with any church. We do have affiliation with other different charities. For example, Dr. Jonathan who is here with us has his own charity based in Haiti, and he is from Haiti. So, we work with him in Haiti. He is here to work with us in Liberia. Leo and I are both professional football players. We moved to the States, and football has played a major part in our lives. Leo currently plays; I’ve retired.”
Mr. Sampson said he got his college education through scholarship and is currently coaching in the United States of America for living.
He said football has been an instrument to part of their lives and it is a tool that God has given them and they are using that tool to give back to their people by kicking for Christ.
Those on the Kick for Christ 2019 delegation are: Leo Gibson and Worteh Sampson founders. Others are: Abby Robichaud, Mike Zuber, Frank Howard, Dr. Jonathan Phillippe, Pastor Troy Campbell and Lucas Johnson.
Responding to Kick for Christ’s gesture, the head of the Deaf Ministry in Chocolate City, Gardnerville thanked the Liberians-founded and U.S.-based organization for the renovation carried out at the home and items provided for the kids.
Madam Comfort W. Doe, who is caring for forty-two children at the Deaf Ministry, called on other humanitarian organizations and individuals in the country to follow the foot step of Kick for Christ to help less fortunate kids in Liberia.
“We actually thank our guests for always coming to our aid. This visit is their third time. We feel happy seeing them always.”
According to Madam Doe, the home was founded in 2002 by her husband, Rev. Terrence C. Doe, who died in recent time.
Madam Doe said her home is in need of some computers and building materials such as cement, rocks and steel rod to complete their computer laboratory