Empowerment Athletics and Culture - EAC

Objectives

1. Host or sponsor motivational lectures, and interactive discussions on a variety of topics (e.g. self-esteem, role of the youth in national development, etc.) at schools and in communities throughout the country as well as conduct training in leadership;

2. Create awareness about life skills that can empower the youth economically and improve their living condition;

3. Establish and operate sports and recreational facilities for children and youths in communities throughout Liberia;

4. Execute a sporting programme that will discover unknown potential athletes, train, and give them exposure through their participation in sporting competitions;

5. Host cultural competitions between the various indigenous groups of the country;

6. Do in-depth research and produce documentaries on the history and culture of Liberia’s indigenous groups; and have said documentaries published and shown on state and privately owned television stations in the country;

7. Support youth agriculture projects in communities throughout the country for their skills development and economic empowerment;

8. Execute other activities in line with the programme’s goals and in keeping with law;

9. Undertake research on various subjects of interest and share the findings with the general public including partners through publications, symposia, and other similar fora;

10. Participate in humanitarian interventions and emergencies born out of natural and manmade disasters;

11. Engage in any lawful activity for which a NOT-FOR-PROFIT, Non-Governmental Organisation is formed under the 1976 Association Law of Liberia.

History

The idea to form Empowerment Athletics and Culture (EAC) was conceived by me on August 19, 2004 while I was serving in the post of Programme Field Officer (PFO) at the Liberia Community Infrastructure Project (LCIP) with assignment in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Liberia.

LCIP was a USAID-sponsored project that carried out rehabilitation of public facilities including buildings and roads, among others. Another LCIP’s activity was the de-traumatization of ex-combatants and war-affected youth through ex*****on of psycho-social activities which included athletics and cultural performances by members of the target groups. What I observed during my interaction with the young people convinced me that the youth of Liberia possess innumerable talents that have not been discovered and refined. I therefore came to the conclusion that creating opportunities for training and exposure in athletics and culture for the youth would help reduce poverty, particularly for the poor and underprivileged ones, reduce the crime rate, inspire creativity and innovation geared towards improving their living condition.

Inspired by what I discovered in the young people that I was mentoring at the time and by extension, my realisation of the undiscovered potentialities of the youth of my beloved country, I resolved to form an organisation that would empower young people in all ramifications of the term ‘empower’. In this regard, poor and underprivileged youth are the particular target. Let me hasten to state that this programme is for all Liberian youth; because many young Liberians have special talents which in some cases make them unique among the rest, and they all have the right to be empowered. The intervention includes helping young people discover their natural talents in athletics and culture, sharpen those talents through well planned, organised and continuous training as well as giving them exposure by means of their participation in athletics and cultural performances and competitions at home and abroad, as well as building their capacity in technical disciplines like agriculture, food security, and other life skills (e.g. masonry, carpentry, plumbing, electricity, etc.), the performing arts and in other areas of human endeavour. This resolution led to the formation of EAC. On July 10, 2007 the organisation obtained its Articles of Incorporation.

Realisation and Purpose

I realised many years prior to 2004 that there is an abundance of undiscovered and untapped athletics, cultural, and other talents in the youth of Liberia. Thrilling cultural performances by ex-combatants and other war-affected youth planned, organised, coordinated, and supervised by me while at the LCIP, compelled me to further realise that the talents of Liberian youth are not limited to athletics. I reached three conclusions: 1. There is an urgent need to discover the unknown talents with which Liberian youth are endowed through a well-defined approach; 2. Provide training and support for those who would be identified or discovered, and give them exposure through their participation in competitions. 3. Many poor and underprivileged Liberian youth are very talented people in many fields of life including athletics, culture, and other life skills. The lack of support and opportunities for their development has forced some of them into organised crime (e.g. drug trafficking, armed robbery, prostitution, etc.), and other unsustainable means of survival in their quest to cope with life in today’s world. Moreover, underprivileged youth are usually disgruntled as a result of feeling neglected and forgotten. Such persons could be easily recruited to serve as agents of terror (e.g. as mercenaries, drug/human traffickers, etc.) as well as for other lawless undertakings. Reversing their present situation can make them productive citizens, and the Liberian society would be a safer and better place for all.

The purpose of EAC is to create and provide opportunities for the empowerment of poor and underprivileged youth in various fields of human endeavour such as athletics, culture and in technical disciplines including but not limited to agriculture, food security, information technology, and other life skills like information technology, masonry, carpentry, plumbing, electricity, etc. including other fields.