On July 25, 2009, the MacDella Cooper Foundation will host a multi-part event in the Hamptons to benefit the MCF Academy . Join MCF for a polo match, followed by an exclusive evening at Four Seasons Caterer, and after party at Dune in Southampton, NY. Learn more about the event , and purchase tickets here .
MCF Story
From the Founder
Dear Friends,
Many of you may have already heard about the brutal civil war that started in Liberia during the early 1990s. Liberia's economic, political, and social systems were decimated, while more than a million civilians either died or became refugees. Many young girls my age were raped or taken as sex slaves, boys were recruited as soldiers, and others were abandoned or orphaned. I am one of the lucky few who escaped without harm.
As I watched my country go from peaceful and quiet to chaotic and dangerous, I never forgot how lucky I was to make it to the United States, receive a full academic scholarship to college, and begin a glamorous career in the New York City fashion world. In 2004, the civil war finally ended and Liberia democratically elected the first female president on the continent of Africa, her excellence Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005. I knew my time had come to give back to my people. I founded the MacDella Cooper Foundation (MCF) with the mission of empowering Liberian youth, especially orphans and abandoned children, by providing education and the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter.
I started by simply collecting and shipping supplies to Liberia. Then, I began renovating orphanages and hosting annual parties in Liberia for 400-500 orphans on Christmas Day, when each child received a warm meal and gift. MCF then piloted an education sponsorship program in one of the neediest communities of the Monrovia suburbs. Today, my vision is to give as many Liberian children as possible the chance to escape the poverty cycle and grow in the nurturing environment of an MCF Academy, so that they can lead Liberia toward an economically strong and politically stable future.
The MCF Academy will be the first tuition-free school in a post-war Liberia. Under the direction of acclaimed architect Winka Dubbeldam and her firm, Archi-Tectonics, we will open in Fall 2010 to 200 students, who are abandoned or orphaned and have no other means of getting an education. I believe that education is the saving grace of Liberia and can lift the 85 percent of the population that lives well below the poverty line toward a sustainable, improved future.
We are extremely excited and honored to be part of the world community assisting in Liberia's recovery. I am eternally grateful to everyone who has given their support. Our work cannot be done without our donors, supporters, volunteers, and staff. On behalf of the children we serve, I say thank you. As Americans, we are far ahead of the curve. Many developing countries around the world are struggling to resolve issues that we had to deal with ages ago -- issues of hunger, poverty, education, basic medical care, malaria, democracy and basic human rights.
Whether you are CEO or a college student , you have the solution to many of the problems our friends in the developing world face. It is as simple as jumping on the bandwagon of solution finders. Donating your time, resources, or your funds is a great start. I personally invite you to join us in rising to the challenge to help one child at a time.
I look forward to your participation in one of our projects.
Gratefully,
MacDella Cooper
Founder