Thank You to Our Program Contributors
Mr. Earnest Garbleejay Smith, BRE, BA, MSC
Founder & Executive Director of RESH, Playing to Live Liberia Partner
Mr. Smith has a Bachelor in Religious Education from Calvary College of Theology and a B.A. in Missions with Emphasis in Counseling from West African Christian University. He also holds an M.Sc in Christian Counseling and Family Studies with Emphasis in Career Development from West African Christian University. Mr. Smith is the Founder & Executive Director at Renewed Energy Serving Humanity (RESH), which partnered with Playing To Live in Liberia. In addition, he supervises the Department of Social Services at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia. Mr. Smith enjoys lecturing part-time at the College of Education & Continuous Education, Adventist University of West Africa and at the College of Social Sciences, Dept. of Sociology, A.M.E. Zion University. He is the author of Covering Liberia and Liberian Activities in the Diaspora Global Voices Online, to learn more visit www.globalvoicesonline.org. Mr. Smith became a psychosocial professional out of staunch conviction which has its root in the manner and fashion in which he was raised. Growing up in a notorious ghetto community (the Center Street of the late the 1970s-1994) he witnessed and experienced some of the most painful and traumatizing violence during a time of civil war. His life experience buttressed by his assiduous passion to guide and work with people and kids facing dire situations propelled him to become the servant of humanity that he is today. He considers RESH and Playing to Live as platforms on which he can diligently give back to humanity. Mr. Smith's specialities include working with trauma, family and career counseling, motivational speaking and capacity building. He is the proud father of four kids: Emmanuel (22), Ernestine (20), and twin boys Ernest/'Er' and Earnest/'Era' (8) as well as an adopted son, Joshua Smith-Scott (16). Mr. Smith also has a beautiful grand daughter named Raphelna!
Founder & Executive Director of RESH, Playing to Live Liberia Partner
Mr. Smith has a Bachelor in Religious Education from Calvary College of Theology and a B.A. in Missions with Emphasis in Counseling from West African Christian University. He also holds an M.Sc in Christian Counseling and Family Studies with Emphasis in Career Development from West African Christian University. Mr. Smith is the Founder & Executive Director at Renewed Energy Serving Humanity (RESH), which partnered with Playing To Live in Liberia. In addition, he supervises the Department of Social Services at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia. Mr. Smith enjoys lecturing part-time at the College of Education & Continuous Education, Adventist University of West Africa and at the College of Social Sciences, Dept. of Sociology, A.M.E. Zion University. He is the author of Covering Liberia and Liberian Activities in the Diaspora Global Voices Online, to learn more visit www.globalvoicesonline.org. Mr. Smith became a psychosocial professional out of staunch conviction which has its root in the manner and fashion in which he was raised. Growing up in a notorious ghetto community (the Center Street of the late the 1970s-1994) he witnessed and experienced some of the most painful and traumatizing violence during a time of civil war. His life experience buttressed by his assiduous passion to guide and work with people and kids facing dire situations propelled him to become the servant of humanity that he is today. He considers RESH and Playing to Live as platforms on which he can diligently give back to humanity. Mr. Smith's specialities include working with trauma, family and career counseling, motivational speaking and capacity building. He is the proud father of four kids: Emmanuel (22), Ernestine (20), and twin boys Ernest/'Er' and Earnest/'Era' (8) as well as an adopted son, Joshua Smith-Scott (16). Mr. Smith also has a beautiful grand daughter named Raphelna!
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Laurel Morrison, BA
Liberia Project Consultant for Playing to Live!- UNICEF/RESH Laurel studied International Studies from the University of Utah. Before working with Playing to Live as a consultant, Laurel was a Business Development Associate for an international development company in Washington, DC. Laurel was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone for 14 months until Peace Corps evacuated in July 2014 due to the Ebola epidemic. While in the Peace Corps, her focus was on promoting gender equity, creating a school library and teaching at a Junior Secondary School. Previously, she completed an internship with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and an internship teaching in Thailand. She also spent over 4 years volunteer teaching english second language (ESL) to refugees and immigrants. She was thrilled to be back in West Africa during Playing to Live's work in Liberia and to be doing everything she can to help these communities recover from Ebola. |
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Prisie Badu, BA
Liberia Program Director for Playing to Live Prisie managed and supported all administrative and human resourcing tasks, as well as program quality implementation and improvement. She joined Playing to Live as our first staff member as the Liberian Program Director. She holds a Bachelor's of Arts from the Adventist University of West Africa in Guidance and Counseling Psychology. She is her class president of the university. A mother of four and grandmother of seven, she has a passion for children. She joined Playing to Live to help children who have been traumatized or need support through therapy and counseling. "I love children. Working with them is amazing and I want to help them to grow up equally, especially the less fortunate children," -Prisie |
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Jessica Tokpah
Liberia Program Associate for Playing to Live Jessica is a Nursing School Student at United Methodist University. She survived Ebola, and was discharged from MSF ELWA 3 ETU, on November 9, 2014. What was motivation for joining Playing to Live? “My motivation was children. I love being around children. Whenever I am around children I feel motivated. I feel so very much happy". What is your favorite Playing to Live activity? “I love 'Leaf Paint' and 'Fan' and the 'Mountain Dance.' The Mountain Dance, children dance to the music until it turns off then freeze until it starts again. There is lots of laughing."' What are your future plans? "I want to return to university to finish nursing degree and work part time with Playing to Live!"' |
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