Friends of Liberia Renewal Ministries USA

Would giving love to children you don’t know halfway around the world seem crazy? What's really crazy is that for just $18, you could provide a meal of rice for 109 schoolchildren in need. That is the craziness of giving love.

We want to share with you about Shepherd School in Liberia, Africa, where I (Barb) teach teachers how to teach students to read. I see firsthand how these teachers give crazy love to their students; you can read more of the story below.

Shepherd School has a great need for rice for the 157 students and staff who only have two meals a day. Our prayer is that through the care and support of those who are moved by this, we can raise $26,280, which would guarantee two years of rice for everyone, AND add a third meal!

$26,280 breaks down to each person at Shepherd School in Liberia receiving food for a year for $97. Just imagine what it costs for 1 person to buy food for a year in the U.S.!

Matt 25: 35 says, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat…”

Would you like to help us show God’s love in a tangible way by caring for the poor and hungry in Liberia? Would you consider giving one of the following gifts to feed the children and staff at Shepherd School:

• $1,000 provides 60 meals for everyone!

• $500.00 ~ 30 meals

• $250.00 ~ 14 meals

• $100.00 ~ 6 meals

• $50.00 ~ 3 meals

• $18.00 ~ 1 meal for everyone! Wow!

• Or another amount as your heart is moved.

If you have a desire to help us meet this need, please use the link below. If you are able to help, thank you. And thank you for praying for Shepherd School and this ministry. Your support and prayers are God’s love in action!

Sincerely,

- Barb and Tom Thomsen

- Beckie Kirker, BKC

PS - Can you share this link with others, to help us meet our goal by Christmas Day?! What a gift it would be to these children, to start the New Year off with full bellies and full hearts, knowing they are loved and cared for.

Going Deeper

A Personal Story

In the last year, I (Barb) have been incredibly blessed to engage in this ministry that is touching and saving children’s lives (preschool through 6th grade). Determined to find a way to learn how to teach their students to read, Epangelia, the Shepherd School Principal, and 2 teachers, Aaron and Daniel, ride motorbikes to Monrovia to access the internet each week. Their two-hour ride each way allows me to teach them how to teach their students to read. Through these wonderful people giving so much of their time to their students, I get to see crazy love in action!

A Little History

Shepherd School began in Eleanor Kiamu’s heart after the civil wars of 14 years ended (1989-2003). Life in Liberia was decimated, and many children lost their parents. Eleanor was saddened to see children working and wandering instead of going to school. She wanted to help, so she invited a child into her home to learn to read. It wasn’t long before she took 15 children into her home to teach and care for. More crazy love in action!

God took Eleanor's offering of love and grew it exponentially, turning her outreach into a reading program and then into a Christian school and safe haven for children.

Children at Shepherd School today find solace, safety, education, and nourishment–for body and soul. As a Christian institution, Shepherd School not only equips students to grow into readers and leaders, but the staff also has the great privilege of introducing children to Jesus as their personal Savior.

Staff at Shepherd School go beyond—they teach, care, and provide for the 109 boarding students, as well as for Eleanor, who had a stroke in 2022. It’s no surprise that even after her stroke, Eleanor continues to serve the children in many ways. Crazy love runs in the family; two of her children, Epan (Principal) and Nelson (CEO) work diligently to continue her legacy.

Why is Shepherd School So Important?

Liberia still lives with war-torn consequences today. Based on Gross National Income, Liberia ranks as the number 1 most impoverished country in the world. With scarce jobs, hunger and hardship are everywhere. Because families can’t provide for basic needs, much less schooling, many young children are sent out to work, or worse circumstances befall them.

There are very few charitable organizations in Liberia capable of handling the country’s overwhelming problems of poverty, disease, lack of education, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Shepherd School is equipped to help. The dedicated teachers and staff are providing a way for the children of Liberia to have a better future.

Why Help Now?

A testimony to prayer, the hard work of staff, and the desperate need in Liberia has resulted in recent enrollment growth at the school from 85 to 157 students. Having exceeded its capacity and resources, Shepherd School is no longer able to accept new students. They have needed to turn 12 children away (and counting) who will return to unsafe living conditions.

Besides turning children away, it is heartbreaking to see the school struggle to obtain enough food for the children already in their care. For perspective, the children receive cornmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast and rice with okra soup for lunch at 4:00. This is their last meal of the day.

The urgent need is rice. We are hoping to purchase a two-year supply, allowing them not to worry if there will be enough food, and a third meal so they don’t go to bed hungry.

Would you consider joining us in continuing Eleanor’s legacy of showing crazy love for the students and staff at Shepherd School in Liberia?

Details About Our Charitable Organization

Friends of Liberia Renewal Ministries (FOLRM) is a registered 501(c)3 organization that provides education, food, and a home for orphans and under-resourced children in Liberia, West Africa. We also work to end gender and sexual-based violence and provide practical skills to victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Our ministries in Liberia include Shepherd School, Shepherd Farm, Mercy, and Ladies Lounge.

100% of the proceeds from this GoFundMe will go to fund meals at Shepherd School. To help cover payment processing, there’s a transaction fee to GoFundMe of 2.9% + $0.30 per donation; you can cover this fee at checkout if you choose. Your giving and tax receipts will show PPGF as the charity; all funds will go to Shepherd School. Learn more about FOLRM and its ministries.