Since I was a little girl, I have been interested in issues related to young women’s empowerment. I have spoken on many occasions about the importance of fostering self- awareness, healthy self-esteem, and confidence in girls. Speaking about these things is paramount not only to their survival as girls, but also as adult women, as it minimizes their chances of being abused in romantic, platonic and professional relationships.

The idea for EGLE (Every Girl Leaves Empowered) Girls was birthed while writing my book, Finding Her Own Way: An Empowerment Book for Young Women. The book was written solely to empower girls to be the best versions of themselves. The bigger goal for the book was to use most of its proceeds to help girls work through childhood traumas so that they can be healthy, functional, adults.

As a 9-year war survival from Liberia, I know trauma all too well. I also know firsthand how living through years of brutal civil war, and seeing so many casualties, can leave a person with feelings of despair, hopelessness, and uncertainty about the future. This is not taking into consideration those who endured the war AND were sexual victims or those who lost all their close family members in the act of violence. In fact, sexual violence is currently on the rise in post-war Liberia. According to Front Page Africa, a news outlet in Africa, a review of statistics from the Bureau of Corrections at the Ministry of Justice in Liberia for the months of January to June 2020, shows that more than 600 cases of aggravated assault, sodomy, sodomy with criminal intent and rape were reported and are currently being investigated.

I know that many Liberian girls struggle with self-esteem/self-confidence issues because of trauma, and many do not have healthy caregivers to help them cope with these devastating situations. Unfortunately, they are trying to make meaning out of life on their own, and consequently they are being labeled as deviant by society. I think this is unfair and this is where we come in.

As a Marriage & Family Therapist who specializes in trauma resolution work, I have worked closely with girls who struggle with issues of low self-worth. In addition to all the above, I am a mother to three daughters, and I know how hard we work daily as parents to ensure that they understand and know their worth. I think we can all agree that knowing self-worth is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

As my book serves to empower young women all over the world, I have a burning desire to help girls in Liberia with the proceeds from it. I feel very strongly about this because Liberian girls have very limited access to mental health care, unlike girls in other parts of the world. I have registered EGLE as a nonprofit because I want to make trauma resolution counseling accessible to every Liberian girl who desires it. This is EGLE’s mission.

To be a part of this great cause, you can make a tax-deductible contribution at the link below. Thank you in advance for bringing hope to Liberian girls affected by trauma. We know that the girls will be grateful, and we will ensure that Every Girl Leaves Empowered!