Liberia - History and Demographics

Liberia is located in West Africa that was founded in 1847 by people of color, both freeborn and freed slaves, from the United States. From 1847 through 1940, "the social order in Liberia was dominated by Americo-Liberians. Although descended primarily from peoples of African origin, often with some white ancestry ..., the ancestors of most Americo-Liberians had been born in the United States for generations before emigrating to Africa. As a result, they held American cultural, religious, and social values. Like many Americans of the period, the Americo-Liberians held a firm belief in the religious superiority of Christianity, and indigenous animism and culture became systematically oppressed." (History of Liberia, Wikipedia.org)

The world's largest rubber plantation was created in Liberia in 1926 by Firestone Tire and Rubber, but after World War II rubber prices were not always stable.  From 1930 until after 2003, Liberia was involved in civil strife. In 2014 and Ebola epidemic struck The country.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gained a formal presence in Liberia on 3 July 1987. At year-end 1986, there were fewer than 100 members in Liberia. In 2019, there were 14,538 members in 53 congregations. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Liberia, Wikipedia.org)

Bountiful Children in Liberia

Liberian native, Joseph Myers, was serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he first heard about Bountiful Children's Foundation. He reached out to Bountiful and began a fundraiser to raise $6,000 to begin a nutrition program in his home country. Thanks to generous donors, he was able to raise the amount within a short time. After he returned from his mission towards the end of 2022, Joseph helped organize a screening for malnutrition in Bushrod Island and our first program in Liberia began!