Burphy Cares Foundation Leads Community-Driven Development Needs Assessment in Grand Cape Mount County

MONROVIA, LIBERIA: The Burphy Cares Foundation has successfully completed a critical three-day needs assessment visit to Grand Cape Mount County. This visit represents a significant advancement in the foundation's ongoing commitment to inclusive, community-led development in the region.

Led by a team of program officers and local engagement specialists, the visit served as an essential fact-finding mission aimed at identifying key areas for future intervention across important sectors, including health, education, youth empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods.

The team also engaged directly with community members from Sinje, Robertsport, Madina, and surrounding areas. This included extensive meetings with local leaders, dedicated educators, frontline healthcare workers, vibrant women’s groups, and youth representatives.

The main focus of the assessment visit was to understand the lived experiences of the residents, carefully identify existing service gaps, and, most importantly, co-create potential solutions that align with the aspirations and needs expressed by the community.

Richlue O. Burphy, Executive Director of the Foundation, stated to the media that "This visit was more than just data collection; it was about genuinely listening, learning deeply, and establishing a foundation of trust."

Burphy, who also serves as the Deputy Director General for Lotto Games at the National Lottery Authority (NLA), emphasized the Foundation's commitment by saying, "We are dedicated to ensuring that our programs are firmly rooted in the voices of the people and address the unique strengths and challenges of each community."

Burphy expressed his gratitude to the County Superintendent’s Office, traditional leaders, and all civil society partners for their warm welcome and cooperation during the assessment process.

He emphasized that this collaboration highlights his Foundation's commitment to working closely with local stakeholders to create a brighter and more prosperous future for Grand Cape Mount County.

Burphy emphasized that the Foundation is eager to provide further updates as the 2026 intervention strategy develops and begins to take effect, aiming to bring about meaningful improvements in the lives of residents. In the meantime, the assessment has uncovered important findings that will shape the Foundation's future initiatives.

The team identified significant challenges, including restricted access to essential maternal and child health services in the more remote areas of the county.

“The Maternity Waiting Centers we visited revealed that many pregnant women and new mothers were unable to afford healthy meals, let alone the medications they needed or essential items such as tissues, disinfectants, and bedding,” he disclosed.

According to Burphy, “during our assessment, we also identified significant infrastructure deficiencies in primary and secondary schools. This issue underscores the widespread challenge of high youth unemployment and the critical shortage of vocational training opportunities needed to equip young people with essential skills.”

He noted that some schools lack blackboards for teachers to use, and several buildings are in poor condition and require renovations.

Additionally, he added that there is a strong and enthusiastic interest in agricultural cooperatives and support for microenterprises, indicating potential for economic growth driven by the community, particularly among the women.

The insights gained will form the foundation of the comprehensive intervention strategy planned for 2026. This upcoming strategy will prioritize scalable initiatives that are deeply rooted in local communities, ensuring a sustainable impact.

The immediate next steps include essential workshops with stakeholders to validate these insights and secure community support, outreach to form strategic partnerships that can leverage existing resources, and the careful design of pilot programs aimed at testing and refining the proposed solutions.

The Burphy Cares Foundation is committed to collaborating with well-meaning Liberians, individuals, and institutions to address these challenges and needs.