“A Single Starfish”.

One day an old man was walking along the beach. It was low tide, and the sand was littered with thousands of stranded starfish that had been washed ashore. The man began walking very carefully so as not to step on any of the beautiful creatures.

Since the animals still seemed to be alive, he considered picking some of them up and putting them back in the water, where they could resume their lives.

The man knew the starfish would die if left on the shore, but he reasoned that he could not possibly help them all, so he chose to do nothing and continued walking.

Soon afterward, the man came upon a small child on the beach who was frantically throwing one starfish after another back into the sea. The old man stopped and asked the child, “what are you doing?”

“I’m saving the starfish,” the child replied.

“Why waste your time?... There are so many you can’t save them all so what does it matter?” argued the man.

Without hesitation, the child picked up another starfish and tossed the starfish back into the water. “It matters to this one,” the child explained.

I would like to praise and thank God for each and every one of you. I am very grateful for this opportunity to share with you the cries of those who are the youngest victims of Liberia’s civil war.

My name is Maria Luyken. I was born and raised in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Looking back today, I believe that like Loren Eisley’s story, I was one of the star fish washed ashore and was thrown back into the ocean.

I was blessed to have left Liberia in 1979 a year before it all got started.

I was blessed not to have been in Liberia when teenagers like myself at the time were being raped.

I was blessed not to have been in Liberia when kids like myself were being prosecuted because of family ties to govt. officials.

I was blessed not to have been in Liberia when girls as young as 9 years old were prostituting themselves to survive.

I was blessed to have had the opportunity to leave Liberia and come to the United States.

In 1990, after losing my two year old son, who was born with a heart defect, I had a burden on my heart to return to Liberia to help the children.

In 1995 with the support of my family and a close friend, I started an organization called the West African Children Support Network (WACSN) in response to the needs of children traumatized by wars in Liberia.

Since 1995, WACSN has undertaken several projects in Liberia.

We have shipped a minimum of 5- 40ft cargo containers each year providing support to orphanages through the distribution of food, clothing, medical and educational supplies.

We have built 30 water wells in rural Liberia, giving access to clean drinking water to improve health and sanitation.

We have established feeding programs that feed up to 1500 children per day. Thanks to the support of partners such as Feed My Starving Children, World Concern, and the Huttarian Brethrens of Gibbon Minnesota.

WACSN presently operates a free school in the suburb of Monrovia catering to 197 students from kindergarten to fourth grade.

WACSN also has an ongoing scholarship program that enable young adults to return to school.

Since October 2003, we started adoption services for children of all ages. To date, we have placed over 100 children with loving families in the US.

WACSN employs 62 workers in Monrovia, which provides them with an income to support their families.

The situation in Monrovia, as it stands today, is very critical.

One in eight babies die at birth and nearly half the children die before they are five years old. These numbers are appalling since it is estimated that 43% of the 3-½ million people are children under 14.

The unemployment rate in Liberia is a staggering 85%.

80% of the people live in extreme poverty.

Malnutrition is wide spread especially among children.

Most medical facilities have been destroyed, looted or damaged preventing these precious children from receiving basic and necessary care.

Our children are crying for help! We appreciate all the families that have opened their heart and homes in allowing God to work through them to bring some of these children out in the hope that they can someday go back or contribute in making a difference in Liberia.

Our concern today is for those who are left behind. Those who are not fortunate to be placed with adoptive families. These children in my opinion are living with a lost generation. A generation with no Christian or moral values. Cheating, lying, stealing, dishonesty, are the order of the day. This lost generation has been denied the love and attention of people and institutions which traditionally had nurtured and cared for them.

In the most violent and heinous ways imaginable, they have been initiated into adulthood. In their most important formative years, they have witnessed unspeakable atrocities.

They have learned that disputes and disagreements are best settled with guns. They have been forced to fend for themselves, surviving the best way they can, often without regard for human life. They believe understandably so that the world is a terrible place where evil prevails and anything goes.

Until we can create an environment like a mission school, boarding school, farm school, isolating these children from this lost generation, I’m afraid this vicious cycle will continue.

The children of Liberia need your help. We need more families to step forward for adoption.

We need your help to improve and provide more access to education.

We need your help to start agricultural projects for long term self sufficiency.

We need your help to improvise access to safe drinking water.

Liberia needs doctors, teachers, counselors, and true people of God, to help us reshape this nation that is referred to as a failed state.

It is our belief, that children are, and continue to be our planet’s most precious resource. They represent our future, and we bear a sacred responsibility for their protection, growth and development.

I hope that you can now clearly see all the starfish God has set before us. Let us work together to save them one by one.

May God continue to bless each and every one of you.

With Love,

Maria Luyken

You can support the West African Children Support Network by (1) Adopting a Child (2) Sponcering a child with a monthly contribution (3) Making a financial donation ro WACSN (4) Praying Fervently on our behalf (5)Supporting our new T-shirt sales

For more information on The West African Children Support Network please contact Sister Pam @ gremillionp@bellsouth.net

Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest. (Luke 9:48)