Background:
Civil War raged in Liberia from 1986 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2003.   The impact of the war within Liberia has been tremendous. All sides to the conflict committed extreme acts of violence against civilians, often not for larger strategic goals but rather to raise revenue and to exert as high a human toll as possible, including torture, rape, and indiscriminate beating, killing, and abduction. The conflict was also used by individuals and groups to exact revenge for preexisting grievances over land use or other localized issues. The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimated that 250,000 people were killed by the conflicts, and one million were displaced.

Liberia’s wars also received world attention for their use of child soldiers. From the outset of the war, Charles Taylor’s forces recruited young boys, initially drawing on war orphans, who were indoctrinated to become loyal and fearless soldiers. However, most–if not all–other parties,  used children to fight, commonly referring to them as “Small Boys Units,” or SBUs. Children reportedly were given drugs and alcohol and were forced to kill family members to isolate them from their communities. Young girls were abducted by armies into sexual servitude and also served at the front lines. At the time of the peace accords in 2003, an estimated 21,000 child soldiers needed to be reintegrated into society.

Finally, in addition to the human cost and the razing of homes, buildings, and infrastructure, the years of conflict ruined Liberia’s economy and left it overrun with weapons. Massive displacement during the war led to a shutdown of public services, and maternal and infant mortality rose to levels “not seen in decades.” In 2010, seven years after the war, Liberia ranked 162 of 169 countries in the Human Development Index, making it one of the poorest countries in the world.
Source: http://www.peacebuildingdata.org/research/liberia/about-liberia/impacts-war

Rev. Jakes Voker was able to escape Liberia in 2000.  Rev. Jakes arrived in America with $.70 in his pocket. In 2006 Rev. Voker returned to Liberia to witness the human suffering that continued after the cease fire

Rev Jakes and his family had a dream of helping their country.  They felt blessed to have been able to escape the conflict. The dream was a school and post-trauma center.

A Timeline of Building the Dream:

• 2006 An architect was contacted for blue-prints and an estimate to build a school and trauma center.

• 2007 Six lots were purchased for the school site

• 2008 Block molding equipment and concrete mixture was purchased and 17,000 sun dried bricks were molded

• 2009 Project consecrated and ground broken

• 2010-11 Foundation and walls were completed

• 2012-13 Walls were plastered, and doors, windows and chalk boards were installed.

• 2013 Faith Elementary is registered with the Liberian government

• 2013 Enrollment of 87 K-8 students begins in September 3

• 2013 The school’s name is changed to Jabez Elementary and Junior High School

• 2014 Team of 11 from Trinity UMC, Sherman Avenue UMC & Rev. Jakes arrive in Ganta to paint and stock the Library

• 2014 A Board of Directors is formed in the USA to raise funds and help manage the school

• 2015 Team of 3 travel to Ganta to follow-up on 2014 Mission trip

• 2016 A team of 10 travel to Ganta to paint the classrooms and the outside of the building.

• 2017 More classrooms and an auditorium were needed. The Board approves the project and begins fundraising

• 2018 An extremely generous donor makes it possible to build a second building with three classrooms and an auditorium.

• 2018 The Student Congress plans and builds a Peace Hut on campus

• 2019 The new building is dedicated

• 2019-Jabez celebrates its sixth anniversary

• 2019-2020 School year opens with an enrollment of 186 students

For more information about Liberia and the devastating Civil war, click on one of these links: https://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/liberia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Weah