Monrovia – The Board and officials of Child Fund (CHF) Liberia has taken a decision to close down its projects and activities after 14 years of working in Liberia.
The Regional Director of Child Fund West Africa Region, Jumbe Sebunya described his organization’s stay in Liberia as successful and in the interest of the Liberian kids.
“Our decision was eminent because Child Fund has achieved its desired goals and objectives working in Liberia in promoting positive outcomes for children in the country,” he said.
Mr. Sebunya observed that the folding up of CHF activities from Liberia was also informed by visible facts that Liberia has restored its peace and dignity without any indication of instability after the civil war.
Regional Director Sebunya made the pronouncement at a special occasion to mark the 14 years end of operation celebration along with government, donor partners, including UNICEF, Concern Worldwide and Plan Liberia and local communities held Friday, November 11, 2016 in Monrovia.
He said Child Fund Liberia began operations in 2003 starting with three phrases of operation valued about U$30 million from 53 grants.
According to him, the focal point was provide support to war affected women and children and returning internally displaced persons as well as refugees earlier in 10 counties.
The Child Fund West Africa Region Director said their departure plan would look back through partnership and networking unto the various projects achieved through communities across the counties by providing help to each generation of children and youth to make positive impact on their lives, survive, thrive after building their capacities to address issues of deprivation, exclusion and vulnerability with their communities.
A Child Fund’s Board Member, Allen Lincoln, said government was pleased with the operations of CHF in Liberia, “Government is pleased with Child Fund’s timely intervention even when the country needed them most in the country.
Considering the level of achievement from work they have done in the country in fourteen years’ period, with the children of Liberia in improving their lives, providing quality education and support is laudable,” he noted.
He praised Child Fund for standing the test of time and challenges from children that were both on drug and in conflict with the laws in making them normal and strengthening them as well as those kids survivals from the deadly Ebola Virus.
Mr. Lincoln also congratulated the donor partners of Child Fund and its staff, the children beneficiaries and parents for assisting in the achieving the overall success.
A representative of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, Victoria Zawuay, said they admired Child Fund collaborative networking, saying, the CHF is departing when the cases on children and women were getting on the increase.
Child Fund operation was extended to Margibi, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount , Gbarpolu, Bong and Lofa Counties where communities were been revitalized through reunification of children to their parents and relatives as well as returning to school ex- child combatants, abused women and children in 2009.
In 2013, Child Fund partnered with government and other stakeholders and intervened in the emergency response to the Ebola Virus through public awareness, counseling and providing services to affected persons including children and providing relief services by airlifting 15,000 pound medical supplies to stop the virus.
An Interim Care Center (ICC) was built, that targeted about 1,300 children expected to have been infected by Ebola but 88 children passed through that were successfully reunited with family members.