Mr. Eric Wowoh in the middle hanging out with Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williamson, and other partners in Jackson Mississippi Dec, 2019.

This great initiative to love and serve the struggling people and children of Liberia through the building of the Mississippi Leadership School, was engineered and promoted by good friend, brother, partner and fellow Gideons Mr. Larry Willisamson from Picayune Mississippi.

In 2017 at about 8:00PM, the Founder and Executive Director of CAN Mr. Eric Wowoh met Mr. Williamson in Liberia at the guesthouse of Alexandria A. Andrews Academy located in Gbarnga City, Bong County, Central Liberia.

Mr. Williamson was in Liberia as a Gideon working with the Gideons International Organization to distribute Bibles all across the country. He was on his way to Ganta City, Northeast of Liberia and it was dark, he needed a place to spend the night. So, Mr. Williamson showed up at our guesthouse and got rooms for himself and his team to sleep. We prepared him and his team some delicious fried African Country Chicken with rice for dinner.

That night, Mr. Wowoh and Mr. Williamson visited and discussed about God, CAN and the GIDEONS. On the following morning, Mr. Williamson greeted our students and staff at the school’s morning devotion service and gladly distributed over seven hundred (700) Bibles to all of our students and employees. Sixteen (16) persons from the school’s leadership team and Eric Wowoh himself became Gideon members. Mr. Williamson has been a Gideon for over two decades and has travelled to the African Continent for more than twenty five (25) times.  

School Purpose

The majority of Liberians share the importance of education and the value it adds to human life. These people are largely saddled by poverty and cannot break from the cycle partly because of lack of children’s sustainable school access. Sustained access to meaningful learning is critical to long term improvements in productivity, the reduction of intergenerational cycles of poverty, demographic transition, preventive health care, the empowerment of women and reduction of poverty. Through this initiative, our main target is to transform the entire nation of Liberia through Education, Mentorship, Sustainable Development and the Hope of the Gospel.

Project Scope

The overall scope of the project is to introduce a Mentorship, Academic and Vocational Program with the help of well-rounded people with the right mind, skills, professionalism, tools, information, and opportunity. So that these people can elevate themselves, their community and nation out of poverty. We have no doubt in our minds that, having a brand-new school build in this part of the country encompassing Nursery through grade 12th, is one critical initiative in the right direction to the glory of God! This school will give underserved and vulnerable children, an affordable, safe, loving and peaceful environment where they will be cared for, nurtured, supported and mentored in Christ to stay focused on their studies in school so that they will grow up to be resilient, useful, productive, compassionate and patriotic citizens of Liberia and devoted servants in His kingdom.

Estimated Impact of the Mississippi Leadership Academy

The impact of the Mississippi Leadership Academy is immeasurable because it extends to generations yet unborn. Over two hundred thousand (200,000) people especially youths living in the immediate surrounding towns, villages and the entire Margibi County will be forever transformed by this worthy cause.
The following towns in Margibi County will be directly impacted by this awesome community development program:

Liberia’s Counties

1. Bomi

2. Bong

3. Gbarpolu

4. Grand Bassa

5. Grand Cape Mount

6. Grand Gedeh

7. Grand Kru

8. Lofa

9. Margibi

10. Maryland

11. Montserrado

12. Nimba

13. Rivercess

14. River Gee

15. Sinoe

Counties: Liberia is divided into 15 counties

Districts: Liberia's counties are divided into districts

Local Tribes: There are 15 different people groups that live in Liberia.

Our Future Ministry Work in Margibi County, Liberia.

Air-view of the Mississippi Leadership Academy (center building) and the Youths Ministry or church (right building)

We pray that by the year 2020 we will be able to build and open the Mississippi Leadership Academy (MLA) School. When built, the school will provide quality Christian-education to over 700 students per year encompassing Nursery through Grade 12. Attached to the school, will be a Fellowship Center/Church, Mentorship and Discipleship Classes, Vocational Skills Training program, Agriculture Initiative to make the school self-sustainable. The Mississippi Leadership Academy (MLA) School is expected to be built on a 5 acres piece of property donated by the local people.

Total Stability for Students

The overall literacy rate of Liberia is 42%, Poor or non-existing educational facilities or infrastructure in the country is are major factors contributing to this high poverty and illiteracy statistic. Most Liberians have very limited access to health care, education, or other basic human services; being in school, they will have all these things in one place. The Mississippi Leadership Academy School will remove instabilities in the lives of these struggling and vulnerable children in Margibi County so that they can focus on their studies, relationship in Christ and purpose on earth.

Social and Worldview Experience

In school, students have even more opportunities to widen their social circle given the array of clubs and activities offered at the school e.g. Young Life. There are activities for almost any interest, whether in recreation, academics or ministry work, giving students an opportunity to meet like-minded brothers and sisters in the Lord both local and international.

Access to basic life necessities

Student will have access to resources and services on campus such as Library, campus fellowship, mentors and discipleship trainers, bathrooms, support groups, cafeteria, clean and safe drinking water, computer and science labs, lighting, etc.

Our Self Sufficiency School Model

After the school is built, it is locally supported through the following programs:

Our Low-Cost School Fees Payment Plan

Our lowest school fees nationwide for students in Nursery through grade 6th is $50.00 US Dollars per year and the highest school fees for students in grade 7th through grade 12th stands at $180.00 US Dollars per year. Parents and students have four installments to pay their school fees according to the following percentages:

1. 1st installment 40%

2. 2nd installment 25%

3. 3rd installment 20%

4. 4th installment 15%

Our Educational Barter System

We realized that over 70% of the parents and school children in rural Liberia, don’t have access to US Dollars, foreign currencies or even to local Liberian Dollars due to their function under a different economy. The livelihood and permanent income of these rural Liberian proceed from their farmland e.g. cash crops and livestock. Consequently, parents and students have given the opportunity to pay their school fees in the form of livestock and cash crops instead of cash, for instance, they provide a bag of beans, a sack of rice bag, charcoal, goats, pigs, etc. Unfortunately, this is the Educational Barter System in which they take whatever they need from us. Our goal is to educate people, provide them sustainable life, and give knowledge and skills and prepare them for the real working world, that’s the ultimate goal of CAN. We normally take these items at 10-20% cheaper rate than the regular market prizes because we are the ones taking all the risks involved, such as doing all the work in taking care of the animals and cash crops as well as finding a way to sell or raise them which has extra cost and time consuming.
The items collected from parents and students as school fees, are converted into cash by selling them to hotels, restaurants and local market people in big marketplaces in the cities or towns. We have some men and women in our Village Saving Micro-loan Club and Pay -it- forward Corporative Group who have their children in our school that we hire go and sell these things for the school on a commission basis.
The security we have to get our money back is their children’s report cards and other credentials from the school. We also have copies of their land titles and the legal binding agreement with the school signed by an influential person serving as a guarantor. The cash reported from the sales of these things are used for operating the school and payrolls. We also sell some of the livestock and cash crops to our employees on a salary deduction basis over a flexible period of time with special payment plans. We raise some of the animals and livestock on the school’s farm land to increase production and bring in extra revenue.

Our indigenous leadership chart

CAN is a hand-up not a handout organization. We strongly believe in local community involvement and commitment to finding solutions to their own problems. Everyone must have a skin in the game; the donor, the receiver and our organization CAN, each has a critical part to play. Our entire program in Liberia, West Africa, is under the leadership and management of the Liberian people themselves. The goal is to ensure that Liberia is transformed by the Liberian people themselves for the good of all Liberians specially the struggling children to the glory of God. We have therefore, developed a local- all-Liberian Leadership and business management teams that handle all of our programs in Liberia.

Collaboration of CAN and the people of the great State of Mississippi

A group photo of our first informational and interest meeting held on Tuesday Jan 14th, 2020 at First Baptist Church, Picayune, Mississippi USA.

Keeping the above-mentioned realities in view, CAN extends its services to the wonderful and caring people of the Great State of Mississippi for the development and implementation of this worthy project “30 Build A School”. We are searching for a total group of 30 entrepreneurs, business and professional people, churches and companies who will partner with CAN by contributing $5,000 each to construct the Mississippi Leadership Academy School in Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia West Africa. This will also include the construction of a student fellowship ministry center attached to the school. If we have 30 person or entity each donating $5,000 towards the implementation of this project, we will have a total of $150,000 which is the amount we need to build both the Mississippi Leadership Academy School and a fellowship center / church for the students and local community to worship the Lord. We want you to kindly partner with us to transform the entire Margibi County to the glory of God through Quality Christian Education, Sustainable Development and Hope of the Gospel.

Direct Impact of the Mississippi Leadership Academy School

The Mississippi Leadership Academy School will serve over 700 students with about 40 employees per year starting from September 2020 academic year and multiplying that number by 50-60 years, truly, an investment which impact will live on for generations to come.

When constructed, the School will seek to impact the City of Kakata and the entire Margibi County with a population of over two hundred thousand (200,000) people through two major ways,

Number 1: Biblical Education for Spiritual Development,

Number 2: Academic Education for physical and mental wellness.
We strongly believe that quality Christian Education help drive career options and career options drives economic wellbeing. The church has historically been the center of education across the world and as Christians, we know that our primary mission and responsibility is to communicate the wonderful saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in every community in all around the world.

All donation is tax-deductible! if you are writing a check, make it payable to Change Agent Network and in the memo section of your check, write MLA. Mail check to:

Change Agent Network
10000 North Central Expressway
Suite, 400
Dallas, Texas 75231

Your contributions towards the implementation of this incredible project can also be given to the following partners of 30 BUILD A SCHOOL:

1. Brother. Larry Williamson – 601-590-0771 Email: larry@reflectech.com

2. Dr. Ryan Wade -Tel: 601-826-3426 Email: ryanw@fbcpic.net

3. Brother. R.T. Buckley – 601-590-3956 Email: rtbuck00@gmail.com

Please, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, need further clarification or just want to say hello. We will love to hear from you. Remain bless, praying and holding the rope!

Why Christian Education?

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”

We believe that we have what it takes to educate the mind to meet the physical needs of the children, but we do not have what it takes to change their hearts, this is the work of God. In the same way we can teach them how to earn well, but we cannot teach them how to live well without God, their creator. We have seen a lot of educated swindlers; we do not need more. So Christian education gives them a foundation in Christ, first, which is the most important and prepare them for success in life, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” – Proverbs 9:10.

We built the school in such a way that it brings honor to the Lord Jesus-Christ, as the master builder. The Bible is taught in the schools as a subject and the children are required to read and write Bible stories throughout the academic year. There is a Bible instructor in each classroom, Christian songs are sung, and patriotism is taught. We will provide a chapel/worship center at the Mississippi Leadership Academy School where the children and the community dwellers can go for morning devotions, say their prayers, praise and worship God as well as receive their announcements before going to class. This center is also used for community meetings, graduations, wedding ceremonies and PTA meetings for the parents and community members. The school doors are never closed, there is always a human presence every time of the day.

Orientation

For this school purpose, we are planning to conduct an orientation session. The agenda of the orientation session will be as follows:

• To provide each and every detail of the project publicity in local and national newspapers ,radio, television, websites and various social media platforms both in the great State of Mississippi and Liberia.

• To display names of the members of (30 BUILD A SCHOOL CAMPAIGN) of the Mississippi Leadership Academy on a plaque to be installed at the school in Liberia etc. If approve , there will be a presentation of the check for this project to Mr. Eric Wowoh at a meeting with a picture and press release submitted to the media both in Liberia and Mississippi.

Estimated start and Completion date

If this proposal is accepted and the necessary funding is made available, the construction of the Mississippi Leadership Academy School will start and be completed within the period of five (5) months. Final report of completion of the school construction from CAN including receipts, pictures and videos of the project will be submitted to the 30 BUILD A SCHOOL Committee from Mississippi.