The struggles of Liberia’s youth are myriad, one of which is the overwhelming amount of children living on the street. Years of civil war and subsequent lack of family and community structure has led to a void of role models in children’s lives. As a result, they are easily drawn to a life of “wickedness,” as discussed by L.A.C.E.S. player Alex Tarr in his video testimony that can be viewed on our website.
When he was seven years old, Alex spent most of his time in the ghetto, sleeping on the streets, stealing money for drugs, smoking, and drinking. He resisted participating in the L.A.C.E.S. program at first, but now enthusiastically quotes Bible verses and expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to play soccer. Alex’s new outlook on life is appreciated throughout the entire community as well; Pastor Charlie, the Community Coordinator for L.A.C.E.S. in Cotton Tree, Liberia praises Alex’s transformation and is grateful that L.A.C.E.S. was able to change his life. This is just one of many stories illustrating how our program has touched and completely redirected the life of a misdirected child; we continue to work to improve the lives of Liberian youth and create leaders for the future.