As part of our #Beyond initiatives, which aim to empower children, youth, and young adults in the UK to be active in supporting vulnerable children globally, we have developed a gap year programme—The CRY Leadership Academy.
Elizabeth Fry is one of our interns, and as part of the academy, she has just returned from a short placement in Liberia, where she visited one of the projects CRY supports. Below is an article she wrote upon her return.
We believe it’s important to provide an authentic youth voice to our work. Here, you can read Elizabeth’s thoughts and feelings, completely unedited. We pray that as you read her blog, God moves you and inspires you to do good.
How important is His Safe Haven’s work for children with additional needs in Liberia? | By Elizabeth Fry
In England, we are aware of the suffering of children worldwide—it’s hard to ignore; you only have to turn on the news for five minutes. However, there is a group of children often forgotten by society—children with additional needs, whose pain and suffering go unheard by the majority of humanity. But God, the Father of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), hears their cries.
In Liberia, which I had the opportunity to visit earlier this year, children with additional needs are often believed to be possessed or even demons, bringing problems upon their families. As a result, these children face ostracisation, abandonment, abuse, and even death. In the Western world, we either struggle to believe that such misconceptions and cruel treatment still exist today, or we are simply unaware of them. However, God is not unaware—He hears their cries and sees their suffering. In response, He stirred the hearts of Scott and Christina, the founders of His Safe Haven.
This calling came through a vision Christina had—a place where these children could feel loved, supported, safe, and ultimately empowered. That vision became a reality in the form of His Safe Haven, a small community just a 15-minute drive from the nearest town of Gbanga. Here, children who once endured some of the cruellest beginnings in life are now embraced into families with loving "Ma’s" and siblings.
To support their holistic development, they receive daily physical therapy, learn about God’s love, and spend time playing with their friends. They are safe, known, and cherished. The days they once spent in sorrow, fear, and pain are gone—God has wiped away their tears and replaced them with joy, friendship, and love.
If you would like to learn more about this project, click here: His Safe Haven Village - Liberia | Care and Relief for the Young.
That’s a beautiful story, isn’t it? You’re probably marvelling at God’s provision right now. But in a short while, this article may be forgotten. It’s easy enough in the comfort of the West—perhaps it’s even raining as you read this. You know that charitable work is important, but the significance of something like His Safe Haven in a country like Liberia—where the cultural belief that children with additional needs are demonic is deeply ingrained—is truly groundbreaking.
As you know, the slogan for CRY is "Empowering children beyond poverty." His Safe Haven does exactly that. But it’s not just material poverty that these children must overcome. For them, relational poverty is a profound issue—yet His Safe Haven does an incredible job of addressing this through its programme.
Every child in this community has a harrowing backstory. One boy I met during my time serving there was found abandoned under a truck. Another had been poisoned by his own parents. These examples highlight just how deeply ingrained the fear and stigma surrounding children with additional needs are—even their own parents believe them to be dangerous.
However, His Safe Haven rejects this narrative and sees these children for who they truly are—precious children of God, deserving of love and care. Here, they are welcomed into a new family, with a loving "Ma" who nurtures them and siblings who share similar experiences and become their friends. Now, they are part of a community where they are valued, cared for, and, most importantly, loved.
They are no longer spiritually poor. They now know Christ, the God who created them fearfully and wonderfully. They have experienced His goodness—and, amazingly, the majority of them love and praise Him. This was one of the most striking things I witnessed during my trip: the children dancing and joining in with worship songs.
One moment, in particular, moved me to tears. As they sang His Love Never Fails, their voices rang out in the words: "There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning." It left a deep impression on me. These children have endured the very worst of humanity, and yet, through the work of His Safe Haven, they have come to know the joy that God brings. This place gives them a glimpse of heaven—a place filled with laughter, joy, and love, where they will one day praise God for eternity.
His Safe Haven is also the beginning of a cultural shift in Liberia. The ripple effects of opening the first village dedicated to caring for children with additional needs are already being felt. First and foremost, it is unifying mothers who have defied society’s cultural beliefs and chosen to keep their children, despite losing everything. Every Monday, therapy becomes an outreach opportunity, meaning mothers with children who have additional needs outside of His Safe Haven can attend therapy. This provides them with a community where they can learn how to care for their children. They also receive assistance they wouldn’t otherwise get, as there is no support or benefits system in place for children with additional needs. A recent example of this involved an outreach mother whose child urgently needed a G-tube surgery. Thanks to His Safe Haven, her daughter was able to receive the surgery, along with several other children from the village.
Additionally, the mothers (Ma’s) bring their own children with them, educating them about how children with additional needs are people with thoughts and feelings. In the future, this can lead to these children teaching others and passing on the importance of treating children with additional needs properly.
There is no denying that His Safe Haven marks the beginning of a shift in attitudes toward children with additional needs. It is an important catalyst for this change. His Safe Haven demonstrates how children with additional needs should be treated. When a government official visited while I was there, he had to leave the room briefly. In his entire career, he had never seen children with additional needs treated so well, nor had he ever seen them as healthy as those at His Safe Haven.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s easy for us in our society to forget the suffering of others or to overlook the importance of work like that done at His Safe Haven, especially when it doesn’t directly affect us. However, it’s crucial that we notice and support these initial steps of change. We can play a role in supporting our brothers and sisters at His Safe Haven by praying for them or donating.
I know it’s easier for me to say this because I’ve been there and witnessed the amazing work being done, but I too have to make the continual choice to let this experience impact me. I cannot forget the suffering of others, no matter how long my life may be. Just as you must make the continuous decision to keep the situation of children with additional needs in Liberia at the forefront of your mind, rather than pushing it to the back. Proverbs 21:13 serves as a humbling reminder:
“Whoever closes his ears to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”
If you feel moved and prompted, you can donate to help this project by clicking here.
To read more articles click here.