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Christians United to Serve Humanity (CUSH) is a non-denominational, non-profit and non-governmental organization founded at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in the Central Region of Ghana. CUSH was created on January 4, 2004 by four Liberians at the settlement. Our organization aims to help refugees build and sustain a better life. CUSH is also a founding member of the Network of Liberian Organizations in Ghana (NETLOG), an organization of all Liberian NGO’s operating in Ghana.

Unfortunately, refugees face many challenging conditions at Buduburam. Poverty is high; education is not easily affordable for Liberian refugees and gender inequality is pervasive. CUSH has successfully built and managed a number of key community facilities that include Technical and Vocational Training Centers in Computers courses, women school of Beauty Care, women school of Fashion Designs, sanitations Centers and guest accommodation houses. The organization has also funds and operates a range of community programmers such as gender base clubs in schools, peer mediations clubs in community, and peace cells meetings, and peace and conflict resolution workshops for community members. CUSH has become a trusted and familiar face to many people at the Buduburam settlement.

The Buduburam settlement is scheduled for closure in 2009 so the remaining 30,000 Liberian inhabitants are currently returning to Liberia either voluntarily or through the UNHCR repatriation programmer. Unfortunately, as confirmed by the Liberian Government, the existing Liberian infra-structure is not adequate to receive the returning populations so immediate investment and planning is required to avoid a potentially critical strain on Liberian society. Due to the planned closure of the Buduburam site, CUSH is currently redirecting all of its resource to help assist in the positive reintegration and empowerment of Liberians who are returning home. As such, the organization is currently planning a major development initiative; the “community empowerment Center” which forms the basis of the project outlined within this proposal.

1.2 The Community Empowerment Center Concept
The “community Empowerment Center, as the name suggest, will offer a community on which ex-refugees, and internally displaced people, most of who are youths who make up 60% of former child solders, can begin building a happier and more prosperous future for themselves, their family and their country. The project will bring together a diverse range of development programmer and disciplines that will form what CUSH believes to be a world first in international development initiatives.

Firstly, the community empowerment Center will offer immediate shelter and protection to thousands of ex-refugees, ex-child-soldiers, and internally displaced Liberians who otherwise would have no accommodation, income or security. These community members will then have free access to food, water, electricity, training and education and, in return, they will be expected to contribute some of their time to running of the facilities, for example; skilled cooks would be asked to prepare food, farmers would be asked to grow crops and seamstresses would be asked to make clothes. Secondly, the community will ensure that all of its members receive comprehensive career or business training that will provide them with relevant skills and qualifications for when their time at the community empowerment center is over, for example, a member would enroll to do a six month business training diploma and, once completed, would receive advice and support to secure accommodation and employment out in the wider community. Finally, the community empowerment Center will deliver a range of business, education, tourism, and entertainment facilities that will provide a huge benefit to the local community as well as a tangible benefit to the national economy.

Alexander Nebo Nyanue
Email-christiansunitedtoservehumanity@yahoo.com
phone#+231-6755388