Orphans gathered for refreshment during Christmas Day festivities at the MCF orphanage in Monrovia.

Monrovia -

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ver 600 orphaned and abandoned children at seven orphanages in and around Monrovia on Christmas Day were treated to a day of fun and games, a sumptuous dinner and the presentation of gifts sponsored by the MacDella Cooper Foundation (MCF).

 

Those orphanages that were part of the Christmas festivities were the Sussie Gunter Orphanage, Phebe Gray, Children Rescue Mission and the Mother Wleh orphanage.

 

Others were ELWU orphanage, Lover Child and Mother Harley Children’s Home.

 

At the event which took place at the Susie Gunter Orphanage along the Robertsfield Highway, the kids took part in different activities including kickball for girls and football for boys, art work and other games for kids.

 

“This event was incredible. It was everything that I dreamt of for the kids. We just wanted the kids to have an amazing time; a day when they can actually forget about all of their worries. These are children without parents, without anyone in the world to care about them.

 

“They do have homes, but these homes just give them a place to sleep and sometimes one meal. The goal of the Christmas party was to give them a day different from their usual routine,” said Ms. MacDella Cooper, founder of the foundation that bears her name.

 

Miss Liberia, Patrice Juah and Miss Liberia (USA) Tammie Garr, who are part of the foundation’s delegation, were delighted to be a part of the event. “I’m very excited to have been a part of this event,” Miss Juah said.

 

“Liberian children represent the future of the country and MCF is helping to prepare these orphans make a positive contribution to the rebuilding of this ravaged country,” said Ms. Garr, who is visiting her country of birth for the first time in ten years.

 

The day was so exiting that marines assigned at the United States Embassy here and visiting Liberians living in the United States were all available to render support to the festivity.

 

Steve Felix

Elizabeth Stern

Elizabeth Stern, a staff of the foundation visiting Liberia for the first time, told FrontPageAfrica that she taught that the experience here was phenomenal. “It’s brought to a reality for me what the conditions are for the children and what the goals for helping them ought to be in terms of making sure they have food, clothing and the opportunity to be educated,” she said.

 

Ms. Stern admitted that there is tremendous amount of work needed to be done here; however, she suggested that it needs to start at the grassroots level with community involvement.

 

Also Steve Felix, visiting Liberia for the first time and a part of the MCF delegation, sounded optimistic about the work of MCF with orphanages. He, however, stressed that it would probably work best with smaller groups taking a direct interest in it, making sure that the money is spent properly for the benefit of the children.

 

Mr. Felix who is very fond of children said getting to meet the Liberian children was wonderful and shows him how strong the human spirit is, even under adverse circumstances.

 

He reiterated that there was a lot of hope in the eyes of many of the children which was encouraging. “Love is the answer for all the problems in the world,” Felix noted.

 

Xmas Spirits

“They do have homes, but these homes just give them a place to sleep and sometimes one meal. The goal of the Christmas party was to give them a day different from their usual routine.”   MacDella Cooper, Founder MCF

MCF founder MacDella Cooper share a photo with some of the orphans.

Ms. Cooper, in an interview with FrontPageAfrica, said the MCF has initiated three projects: the Orphanage Restoration Project which was initiated in August. Basically this project entails rehabilitating five orphanages which will give the children a better living environment. The first beneficiary is the Sussie Gunter Orphanage where work is gradually progressing while the next will be the Phebe Gray Orphanage.

 

With regards to the second project, Sponsor-A-Child Project, MCF is seeking sponsorship from philanthropists in the United States who can sponsor one child’s education. That’s the project that’s most important,” Ms. Cooper said. She hopes that the foundation will get sponsors that could contribute at least US$500 to one orphan’s education for a year.

 

The third, Project Care Bag is to secure a baggage for each orphan where he can store and preserve his/her personal belonging safely. “Project Care Bag is a project where we will get humanitarians in the US that can buy a suitcase or a care bag for a child with some personal items - soap, toothpaste, clothes, socks, shoes, etc. and whatever personal item they need,” Ms. Cooper said.

 

She disclosed that a container leaves the Port of Baltimore on 14 February 2007 that will include bunk-beds, clothes for individual orphans that will be distributed to them when she returns here in early March 2007. “These two projects, Orphanage Restoration and Project Care Bag are what we will be working towards during the first quarter of the coming year, making it a reality,” she said.

 

MCF, a United States and Liberian registered 501(c) (3) charitable organization assists orphaned and abandoned Liberian children by improving the overall conditions at their orphanages. MCF has earmarked five orphanages which the foundation have begun initial rehabilitation and renovation work including providing new beds and mattresses, painting the facilities, upgrading the toilet areas, amongst others.