Liberia’s Todee district has rich, fertile soil.  The Charles Luke community wanted to be able to support itself by undertaking various agricultural projects as they had the acreage for such an initiative. 
 
They turned to various sources for financial assistance in obtaining the tools and seeds they needed to get started, but without success.  Julius Luke ultimately contacted the Board of Dignity:Liberia.  We liked the proposal he presented and were very excited when, in 2016, one of our donors provided funds for the entire project.
 
The Charles Luke Community wasted no time in clearing the land with machetes, power tools, and fire.  They have watered by hand and with the aid of a pump. 
 
Julius wrote:
 
"Directly empowering locals to manage their own resources is the easiest way to develop any rural community.  People here are excited and amazed that Dignity:Liberia heard our cries and decided to directly empower us. This farm will serve as a major supplier of vegetables to Monrovia, Paynesville, and Kakata cities and also generate thousands of dollars yearly for 18 villages that forms part of a cooperative.  School fees, medication, and food will no longer be a major problem, as many villagers will now be earning money from the farm."
 
He told us: “You have directly impacted lives.”  Dignity:Liberia could not have helped the Charles Luke Community without the support that all our donors provide.  Thank you.
 
Julius shared a number of pictures of the agricultural project at its various stages that we are now sharing with you.

My nephew by marriage became a father yesterday.  Aaron Joseph was due to arrive on Thursday but like so many babies, he ignored his due date.  His mom had received regular pre-natal care as she has easy access to an obstetrician.  His few extra days in the womb were not a big deal, and if necessary, the doctor would have induced labor.   
 
Many women in rural Liberia do not have the same health care advantages that my niece has.  Approximately 1,200 Liberian women and girls suffer with fistula, primarily because there is a lack of obstetric care in rural areas, resulting in extended hours or several days of difficult labor.
 
A number of them turn to traditional midwives for help with their deliveries.  Traditional midwives lack medical training.  Their methods are abhorrent and dangerous.  One fistula survivor shared that some traditional midwives rub pepper on a woman’s privates to make a woman push harder or even have ants up bite her in that area to help with contractions.  Another fistula survivor reported that her midwife bounced up and down on her belly, trying to force the baby to come out.
 
This is why it is vital to have more medically educated midwives to provide safe deliveries in rural Liberia.  The Phebe School of Nursing includes certified midwifery among its training programs.  The school is within a quarter-mile walking distance of the Liberia Fistula Project Rehabilitation and Reintegration site and its students have direct contact with the fistula survivors throughout their training. 
 
The school is in desperate need of updated educational material and the ability to provide instructional DVDs to multiple classes simultaneously.  Supporting the Phebe School of Nursing is one of Dignity:Liberia's priorities.

Last month we received some exciting news from Morris Koon about the Rehab Center in Phebe.  A new education building is being constructed at the facility.  (At the Rehab Center, fistula survivors learn a trade that will enable them to earn a living.  Upon graduation, they receive financial assistance and the supplies they need to start a business.)
 
There are also plans to construct a new kitchen, once sufficient funds are raised, that will be located at the back of the new training center.  The present kitchen, which is in a state of disrepair, will be demolished after the new kitchen is built.