Taking on the Country's First Roastery Building the Market Before the Harvest Universal Outreach has always approached economic development the same way. First build the market. Then help people participate in it. It is the same philosophy that led the organization to spend three years developing Liberia Pure before training its first beekeepers. Training only creates opportunity if someone is ready to buy what people produce. Coffee is following the same path. Last year, fou

How Alvina Went From Nearly Dropping Out to the Top of Her Class "It's a bad feeling when the office calls you in and you know they want to talk about a late payment. What's even worse is the shame you feel when they put you out of class. It can be harsh, but it's how it is in Liberia." Alvina is seventeen. She has been through that office more times than she should have to count. She lives in Duazon, in Lower Margibi, with her mother and five younger siblings. Her father lef

How Beekeeping Is Creating Income, Community, and Confidence in Rural Liberia Bea with his new beekeeping kit. "I can tell when the bees are angry by the sound they make. I’ve learned to treat them with care. Because if I harm them, I harm myself.” Bea Valmu says this with a quiet confidence. He is a young man from Banga, Bong County, a rural community in Liberia where steady income is hard to find and most people piece together a living from whatever work is available. A yea

Roosevelt Wade's Story Roosevelt, 8 years old (far left) At eight years old, Roosevelt Wade walked into the forest outside his village to gather firewood so his family could cook dinner. In his left hand was an axe and on his right hip was his baby sister Geraldine. He was a child doing the work of an adult and he did it because his family needed him to. He was also, somehow, earning excellent grades. Roosevelt grew up in Royesville, the same place where Universal Outreach bu

A Young Liberian Woman's Journey to Growing Her Business When Diamond joined Universal Outreach’s Business Development Program, she already had a business—but she was struggling to make it grow. She had the skills, the determination, and the dream of building a successful beauty spa. What she lacked were the tools that many entrepreneurs never have the opportunity to learn: how to plan for growth, manage finances, and attract customers consistently. Over five months, Diamond