Aid for West Africa Part 2

James Cooper Orphanage

In November 2014, on the initiative of Lufthansa’s flying personnel, an appeal for donations to help the areas of West Africa affected by Ebola was launched. 24,000 euros were collected through the help alliance’s emergency aid project.

At the same time, the help alliance project management team began researching suitable measures. In the end, two project plans were defined. Today we present the second project.

The James Cooper Orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia has been known by help alliance since 2012. At that time Frederic Vloebergh, Country Manager at Brussels Airlines approached us and asked for support in renovating the building. Two years later the Ebola crisis brought the orphanage, which is home to 20 to 25 children aged 2-17 years, to the brink of extinction, because the government had stopped supporting the regular maintenance of the orphanage with the 8 months of school closures. Many food items were only available in exorbitant amounts, if at all.

The 75 year old Mrs. Cooper, still active with all her heart and soul for her home founded in 2002, approached Frederic for help. And Frederic contacted us. “My little orphanage cannot afford to buy nutritious food from distant markets. The prices have exploded,” was Frederic’s desperate statement.

Thanks to the support of the donors and help alliance, Frederic now organizes the weekly purchase and distribution of balanced food. A drop in the ocean, combined with the hope that the economic situation in Liberia will soon stabilize again. “Such an important drop for us”, says Mrs. Cooper and thanks all supporters with a new title for her orphanage, she now calls it the “James Cooper Smiling Faces Orphanage”.

Thanks to all supporters!