About Us

'Niapele,' (pronounced nee-uh-peh-lay), means 'children' in Kpele, a Liberian dialect. The Niapele Project was founded by two former international volunteers who, after working with the Liberian refugee population in Ghana, were moved to pursue their engagement with this community.

Mission

The Niapele Project’s mission is to promote sustainable strategies for the empowerment of vulnerable children, by supporting  community-based initiatives. We work in partnership with communities, assisting them to fulfill the needs they have identified, through the development and implementation of initiatives that aim to create the necessary conditions for children and their communities to thrive.

Vision & Values

We identify community leaders with a vision for socio-economic and human development, and who demonstrate a true commitment to their cause. By giving them the means to achieve their goals, we offer the support necessary for these community-led processes to succeed.

Because of our size, we offer great flexibility to our partners - each partnership is elaborated based on carefully evaluated needs, and benefits from constant dialogue, communication and feedback.

We tailor our services to the needs of each partner organization - we recognize that each grassroots initiative is defined by the vision of its leaders, and our support is adapted for each partnership.

The History of the Niapele Project

The Niapele Project was founded in 2007 by two former international volunteers who identified needs at the Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Ghana that were not being met by any existing organization - local or international - or by official authorities. In the first year of operations, The Niapele Project formed partnerships with three local community development organizations, focused on serving the needs of the most vulnerable children

Read more: "Our Work"

As a 501c3 registered non-profit in the United States, The Niapele Project is able to raise funds for our partner projects and to advocate on their behalf.  We strive to extend the impact of each donated dollar by purchasing  commodities and supplies locally whenever possible and employing community members for labor and consultancies.  In this manner, we strengthen local markets and enable local service providers, farmers, and workers to support their families.

When The Niapele Project began working with the displaced Liberian community in Ghana, people had been living at Buduburam Refugee Settlement for as long as 15 years. Many talked of eventually returning home to Liberia.  Many planned to remain in Ghana. However, a series of events in spring 2008 led to a decision to close the refugee camp and voluntarily repatriate all Liberians to their homeland.

An uncertain future suddenly held only one choice for thousands of residents at Buduburam - travel to Liberia and begin yet again.

Each of our partners individually chose to return to Liberia and relaunch the programs that they had started at the refugee camp.  There were many unknowns on what was ahead for these community leaders and their families in post-war Liberia after so many years in exile. But they were certain that Liberian children would be in need of the grassroots programming that had improved the lives of refugee children.

The Niapele Project commenced preparations to relocate to Liberia with our partners in August 2008. We assisted the local organizations with the complex logistics of making travel arrangements, covering costs and preparing for a time of transition. We helped to locate and finance the rent for new homes. Crucially, we also then began the process of navigating the requirements of the Government of Liberia for legally operating programs in the fragile country, for both our organization and our partners. We continue to deliver advice and guidance for our partners on their legal rights and obligations as non-profit operators in Liberia.

The Niapele Project in Liberia

In early 2009, The Niapele Project became accredited by The Liberian Government and welcomed a permanent Project Manager to our team.

Starting over in a new country presented many challenges to The Niapele Project and our partners. By remaining open and critically reflecting on our areas of strength while collaborating with Government and UN agencies, community leaders, and local and international NGOs, we established The Niapele Project in Liberia and completed our transition from the refugee camp in Ghana. 

As of 2011, we are engaged in two active partnerships in Liberia, and a fiscal sponsorship in the United States.

Our small dedicated national staff continues to inspire us in their tireless commitment to the cause of supporting community based initiatives in order to promote positive change in the lives of vulnerable children. The insight they provide on Government complexities and Liberian culture continues to be invaluable and we are proud to have them on our team.

Read more: "Who We Are"

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