Children LifeTime Educational Library Projects

Authors/ Book Celebration

2011-05-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Children LifeTime Educational Foundation held its first fundraiser on May 7, 2011. The Foundation rasied $1,020.00! How we did it? 3 Liberian and 2 Kansas City authors donated books to CLTEF for sale to the public. Our kind-hearted authors Elma Shaw (Liberian) - Redemption Road - and Rachel Gifford (American) - A Gift In Wolf's Clothing - were spectacular at the event. They told us their stories, the poeple listened, and then they purchased the books. We had light refreshment and lots of fun. But most of all, we got to hear about the plight of education in Liberia, and the fun and positive way a person can withstand trials.

Thanks to all our volunteers, BOD, and guests. But for you, we would not have pulled off this feat!

All donations will benefit the library construction in Barnersville, Liberia/West Africa.

Authors' Book Celebration

2011-01-30T19:18:00.000-08:00

On May 7, 2011, Children LifeTime Educational Foundation will have its first fundrasier at Overland Park First Assembly of God at 7700 W. 75th Street, Overland Park, KS. We are excited.

The event begins at 1:00 pm and ends at 5:00 pm. It is FREE to everyone. However, you need to register since we will have light refreshment. Please register at lreeves@childrenltef.org.

Come and be a part of something good. Thank you

ALP PROGRAM. IBIS LIBERIA

2010-11-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

A Grass-Root Foundation

2010-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Who helps a grass-root foundation like the Children Educational Foundation find funding?

Traveling To Monrovia, Liberia - Part III

2010-07-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

WE ARE BACK!

Phew! We finally landed at RIA in Monrovia around 2:20 am from Morocco. These early mornings flight for us has become the norm.

It was dark so we did not get to see much of our surroundings on the 35 minutes drive to my daughter’s home. We slept for a few hours and as usual, woke up around 7:30 am for the day. The excitement of being home was in full gear – after 14 years of being away!

Over the next several days, we visited family and friends. We were anxious to get to Barnersville and start on our journey there.

As I said earlier, if you need to understand the bigger reason for our visit to Liberia, visit the Foundation’s website at www.childrenltef.org and follow us at www.childrenltef.blogspot.com .

When we decided on the Library projects, I just knew that a visit to Liberia was imminent. You see, the Founders knew that the citizens of Barnersville Township had to be involved in the adventure of hope for the future. We wanted the local people to know and feel that the library projects were for them to help build and contribute their time and resources. We wanted them to know that one day, the library would be theirs to use and run.
We have the leadership of the Zoe Louise Preparatory School to thank for garnering the people of the Community.

Traveling To Monrovia, Liberia - Part II

2010-07-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

THE STORY BEGINS AGAIN!

Here is the good part. During this time or before we left JFK International Airport for the hotel we made friends. As my daughter and I stood waiting for the bus to take us to the hotel, a lady came up to me and we started a conversation. The bus wait was another delay. We like fast and quick service everywhere we go. That is human nature! Anyway, I soon noticed that she was from Liberia. Exciting, yes really is. We started talking about the flight and bus delays. Finally we changed the topic and went on to other interesting topics. She introduced herself as Ms. Florence Chenoweth, who was traveling to Liberia with her three teen-aged grandchildren. I remembered the name from back in the days. So I asked her if she was the former Agriculture Minister and she said yes. As usual I do not ever remember faces. I told her why we were going to Liberia.

Who does not know why we are in Liberia! For the last several months, I have talked about Children LifeTime Educational Foundation and its mission and vision. So to get back to my traveling story, you can visit the website at http://www.childrenltef.org/ and follow us at http://www.childrenltef.blogspot.com/.

We talked about the library project and getting books. Later on in the conversation, I asked her for her card and she gave me one. That was when I knew she was the present Minister of Agriculture. What struck me the most about Ms Chenoweth during the five days we spent together is her humbleness and concern she has for everyone. I like her very much. So we talked and talked about our families, work and about the love for Liberia and its inhabitants. We feel the same changes that are storming Liberia, some positive, some painful, and some degenerative. Wow!
I want to believe that things are happening for the good of Liberians. She has done a lot of work personally as a private citizen and professionally as a public servant in Liberia. Can you imagine having a Doctorate degree in Agriculture? Not me!

Okay, okay, I do not want to go off rattling about Ms. Florence, who my daughter began to call Aunty Florence. You know our never-ending respect for our elders; always have to put a ‘handle’ before the first name as a profound sign of respect for someone who is older!

We went to the hotel together, and ate dinner together. She reminded us to be down early for breakfast. We had to be at the airport at 7:00 am. The hotel or airline shuttle bus driver was not there and there was only one bus. A hotel employee took the initiative to drive, but the trip, which was about 8 minutes long, was going to be longer since we were so many and the bus so small. Ms. Florence and I decided that we would take a taxi. We did just that and share the cost. Way to go, team work happened in a split second!

We arrived at the airport on time, went through security, and went on to our gates. The lines were long, but moved really fast and quick. I like going through security this time – nothing was taken away from me! You know the routine – when we forget something in our overnight bag that is more than 3 ounces we do not get t o take it on board the flight. We boarded the plane and took off for Monrovia, Liberia finally.
CHECK OUT THE BLOG LATER FOR MORE FUN STUFF

Traveling To Monrovia, Liberia

2010-07-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Monrovia, Liberia on Wednesday morning, July 14, 2010 at about 2:25am. Our scheduled arrival date, which was Sunday morning, July 11, at about 3:30 am had been circumvented by Royal Air Morocco. Our flight was delayed on the 9th due to whatever reason the airline felt like giving! How disappointed we were. However, our disappointment lasted for a little bit. We were going to have a fourteen hour transit period in Casablanca, Morocco and were looking forward to that with some reservation. What would we do for those many hours? We did come up with a plan to go see the city or just rest at a hotel. Anyway, with the delay, I was happy with not having to go through the fourteen hour wait.
A hotel was provided for the night – but not the best. In Queens, New York!

We were rescheduled to depart JFK International Airport on Saturday morning, July 10th at about 10:00 am (actual take-off time – 11:15 am). So our seven hours flight began. It was a smooth and uneventful flight. Great food, kind flight attendants (but my daughter Licshen did not think they were kind), good job, landed safely, we gave God all the glory.

We thought we were done with delays and surprises. No! We landed around 11:00 pm on Saturday night, July 10th, grabbed our overnight bags, took off in a fast paced walk, with my daughter, Lischen telling me to “hurry Mother, we cannot be late”. We were never late to begin with. Then we heard that the plane had left. The flight to Monrovia had taken off about 45 minutes before we landed. Oh no, how can this have happened? We wanted to get to Monrovia. Disappointment settled in again. This time, big time!

We went through a slow, very slow process of getting new boarding passes, to immigration, to finding the Royal Air Morocco informational desk, and then finally to a hotel in Casablanca! Phew! By that time we were completely exhausted and hungry and mad. This took us about 6 hours! We arrived at the Hotel Zeinth around 5:00 am on Sunday morning, July 11th.

MORE TO COME SOON!

Literacy for Liberian Children

2010-06-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

I my reading Laura Bush's book " Spoken from the Heart", which as usual has allowed me to understand a tiny bit of many topics touch by her. Several things I like very much and find interesting are:

- Her closeness with her parents.

- Even though, I was not schooled in Library Science, I share the same passion for books.

- The more I got deeper into the book, I read numerous places where she talked about education, about literacy for both girls and boys, about her work in promoting reading habits, about women's rights and equality.

- I like the public work she did in garnering people and information to help the disadvantage young children and women in education and health.

In Monrovia, Liberia, there is a need to help combat illiteracy. Mrs. Bush mentioned that "those who can not read are limited to the most menial jobs, and they cannot even follow simple directions to take lifesaving medication or to minister it to their children".

The statistics from UNESCO about illiteracy are staggering - "almost three-quarters of a billion adults in the world cannot read or write; two-thirds of the illiterate are women". What can we do Liberians? I am sure that we are in the stats.

A fundemental program we can bring to any one small community in Liberia is the establishment of libraries. Every time I am in a library in Olathe or Overland Park, I am moved by what I see and find in the library - the rows and rows of books, the multimedia, the people who help, and the many uses of the library! Each time, I say to myself this can be done in Liberia, any place and we, the founders of Children LifeTime Educational Foundation, have chosen Barnersville Estate, working with the Zoe-Louise Prepartory School to help combat illiteracy.

Trip to Liberia

2010-06-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Two of the founders of the Children LifeTime Educational Foundation are traveling to Monrovia, Liberia to visit Zoe-Louise Preparatory School and the Barnersville Community.

We hope to engage the community, which includes parents, guardians, boys and girls,
teachers, and principal in our quest to understand the need for a community library.

We invite comments using this forum. Thanks