Recently on the "Wake Up With Dee" Morning Show, co-founder and CEO of the Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI) Joan Curran-Darkortey joined the program to discuss their nonprofit’s mission to fight poverty in Liberia, uplifting Atlanta communities, LEDI’s impactful initiatives and their upcoming fundraising gala.
Ms. Darkortey, raised in Atlanta from elementary through high school, explained that LEDI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Ohio in 2007, was established in response to Liberia’s 15-year civil war, which caused widespread devastation. Starting with scholarships for youth in poverty, LEDI has expanded into comprehensive community and economic development. “We decided to be the change that we wanted to see,” she said, describing how she and her husband, Rufus Darkortey, co-founded the organization to transform lives.
She highlighted LEDI’s past initiatives, such as raising funds during the Ebola crisis to supply over 10 clinics in Liberia, where 40 to 70 percent of doctors died. LEDI also supported midwifery students to serve rural areas, provided birthing kits, and offered soccer training and financial literacy grants for youth. In Atlanta, LEDI collaborates with Fountain of Hope to distribute food to those facing food insecurity.
Ms. Darkortey emphasized LEDI’s flagship project: constructing Liberia’s first modern public library and technology center, set to serve over 200,000 people in a region with colleges and under-resourced schools. “Our mission is to reduce poverty and change lives,” she said, noting Liberia’s status as one of the world’s poorest nations, despite its historical role as a haven for freed African Americans.
The discussion also previewed LEDI’s International Life Changers Awards and Fundraising Gala, scheduled for this upcoming Saturday October 25th. For more information about the event, click here.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.