Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rufus N. Darkortey and his wife, Joan Curran Darkortey, attended the 10th annual International Life Changers Awards & Fundraising Gala at the Marriott Gateway Hotel Atlanta. They are founders of a small nonprofit that has raised more than $300,000 to help people in their home country, Liberia. (Phil Skinner for the AJC) By Nancy Badertscher – For the AJC 5 minutes ago For 18 years, Joan and Rufus Darkortey have been out to prove that determined people don’t need wealth, power, or big-name donors to change the world. Without corporate sponsors — and with just faith, grit and small donations from everyday people — the husband-and-wife team from Lilburn has built a nonprofit that’s lifting hundreds of Liberian children out of poverty through education and helping others in need from Africa to America. Joan Curran Darkortey founded Liberia Economic Development Initiative with her husband, Rufus N. Darkortey. (Phil Skinner for the AJC) yranidrO“ ”,sgniht dias tnediserp elpoep fo yranidroartxe od rednuof-oc nac dna sufuR airebiL evitaitinI cimonocE tnempoleveD ,yetrokraD .).I.D.E.L( A nonprofit founded by Rufus N. Darkortey and his wife, Joan Curran Darkortey, has awarded 700 scholarships, and begun construction of Liberia’s first modern public library. (Phil Skinner for the AJC) — — s’dlrow ot eht eht eht taht ,spihsralohcs desiar cilbup ytrevop tseroop eno no fo fo snoitan nredom .yrarbil si ni ni sah tsrif noitacude noitcurtsnoc feileb nugeb dedrawa etoditna dna tuoba s’airebiL airebiL .I.D.E.L dednuoF 007 7002 ,000,003$ eW“ htiw ew eht eht taht detrats dias fo s’tiforpnon wenk si noitacude noitacude cimonoce ”,tnempoleved ,rednuof-oc .riahc draob kcordeb esuaceb dna naoJ ,yetrokraD OEC — ev’yeht rieht rieht eht eht nekat yralas gnitner stekcop nwo netfo fo .tiforpnon reven etal otni ni letoh sah alag resiardnuf morf rof neve deppid gnirevoc elpuoc tsoc moorllab launna dna a a ehT .rebotcO ,daetsnI erehT“ tuB“ — erehw ev’ew erew erew ew ew ew ew deklaw ”.siht neht eht eht eht ,stneduts .dias srehtom stnemom kool wonk ,sdik depleh evah rof dluoc nrob ”,yawa ta dna sufuR yetrokraD Television's Judge Judy Hatchett (left) was honored recently by Joan and Rufus Darkortey, founders of Liberia Economic Development Initiative, with one of their International Life Changer awards. The Darkorteys are trying to improve life in their native Liberia through education. (Courtesy of Liberia Economic Development Initiative) derahs fo noissim pihsdrah nrob A — ,raw elbakahsnu rieht depahs ,yas ecifircas si ni .htiaf yb htob dna ,ecivreS AND ohw nehw saw saw ot .thgit eht yllaicifircas sevitaler desiar stnerap fo yenom ni ni ,emoh evag sdneirf neve tsedle dlihc nrob kcab dna dna airebiL naoJ blaKeD ,yetrokraD ,ytnuoC I“ flaH“ ”,flesruoy dluow tahw saw ”.dootsrednu ot ot gnihtemos ehs was .dias ruo no fo tnaem evil tsuj ti emocni og rof ylrae dnoyeb kcab .airebiL tI — htiw dednepu litnu ot ot yeht eht eht eht eht deiduts .ralohcs ,ecracs nruter devorp dennalp stnerap rehtom elttil sboj ni reh morf rehtaf .esle ,smaerd ,seerged puoc .yrtnuoc emac ta sa devirra dna a nehW ;ytisrevinU .S.U sdnalrehteN airebiL reH reH yromE 0891 dekrow nwardhtiw depiw nehw yaw saw gniyrt ot hguorht rieht ,sutats ehs loohcs .pihsralohcs snoitseuq stnerap revo tuo no fo lagel .daetsni .emoh reh reh reh .pleh laicnanif demaerd emaceb gnidnetta dia tuoba naoJ reH yromE yetrokraD tuB atnaltA s)k(104 I“ dekrow revetahw ot ot ehs .dias ynam tsuj ,sboj dah teg od ”,yb ta I — — htiw htiw htiw ohw saw .raw dereetnulov emit eht eht eht eht llits ehs ecneics ,noigiler feiler lacitilop ni dah detaudarg rof seerged tbed nageb ta dna dna ydaerla gnitacovda ecivreS deR airebiL naoJ sdneirF yetrokraD ssorC .eettimmoC retneC retraC yB naciremA nacirfA ygetarts ehs tem ni ecnerefnoc a sufuR weN ,yesreJ .yetrokraD tA In the last 10 years, Rufus N. Darkortey has worked with the African Development Bank, overseeing $35 billion in development projects. As the organization’s executive director, he represented 81 countries and oversaw The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. (Phil Skinner for the AJC) yaw saw .raw gniklaw owt ot ot hguorht eht naht hcamots sgnilbis d’ehs loohcs .tuo ylno ylno ,ecno no erom tsol devil sruoh srorroh sih sih draeh eh eh dah rehtaf depacse ytpme noitacude ,tsimonoce htaed deveileb esuaceb dna na .tuoba sufuR eH yetrokraD tA nA ,91 ehT“ fI“ ohw er’ew ew saw raw ot ”.ereht eht eht trats suoires .dias ,ecaep em sdik evah thguof ”,noitacude ecnereffid neewteb dna tuoba sufuR yetrokraD — sraey .gniddew eerht yeht rieht rieht eht eht derahs tiforpnon egairram dehcnual ni noitadnuof rof rof s’elpuoc noitcivnoc emaceb dna dna retfa ehT oihO ,.I.D.E.L aigroeG reverehW“ ev’I“ naoJ‘ htiw yrt ot sgniht eht .elims dias flesym evael dellac ”.retteb ,ma syawla a ”’,rekaM naoJ I I ecnereffiD yetrokraD ,sraey dekrow htiw owt eht eht eht tneps ecneics detneserper .stcejorp gnieesrevo wasrevo s’noitazinagro tsal sboj ni ni ni ni eliforp-hgih eh eh evitucexe .scimonoce denrae ,rotcerid tnempoleved seerged sedaced seirtnuoc retupmoc noillib dna dna dna dna ehT .naduS arreiS sufuR ,airebiL ,enoeL nI eH ,anahG ,aibmaG tnempoleveD yetrokraD ,knaB sA aciremA nacirfA .acirfA 18 01 53$ krow esohw ot eht won si dedulcni ni sah emit-lluf gnitoved reerac ta dna dna ytisrevinU evreseR oihO .I.D.E.L naoJ ,aigroeG laredeF yromE ,yetrokraD ,NNC knaB nredom yrarbil tsrif s’airebiL gnidliuB eht ,spihsralohcs tiforpnon :sah ’syetrokraD dnoyeB Delivered thousands of meals and birthing kits (some of the meals were delivered in conjunction with Fountain of Hope Ministries in Atlanta during the pandemic) Built a multipurpose community center Funded sports programs and small business training — — erehw tnegru gnikatrednu rieht eht noitan tsom ycaretil gninrael si ni buh srevoh dnik-sti-fo-tsrif dnuora dna suoitibma tluda a a cilbuP nredoM ,yrarbiL airebiL tuB .%84 — — erehw tnegru gnikatrednu rieht eht noitan tsom ycaretil gninrael si ni buh srevoh dnik-sti-fo-tsrif dnuora dna suoitibma tluda a a cilbuP nredoM ,yrarbiL airebiL tuB .%84 sihT“ s’tI“ — erehw ytisrevinu eht naht .dias roop ecalp erom ”,yrarbil ,nrael si ”.erutuf rof ,maerd nac dliub enoyna dna a a a a sufuR yetrokraD — ecrofkrow htiw ,gniw lliw ,gniniart ygolonhcet .oiduts secaps gnidrocer gnimrofrep ,ycaretil gnidulcni rof ,pihsruenerpertne elbuod latigid larutluc s’nerdlihc ,retnec gnidliub sa stra tra ,aera dna dna dna a a ehT — lliw kcart ot eht eht eht eht tup tcejorp sdeecorp spahrep desuap ro no fo fo kcal si epoh eliforp-hgih .sdnuf resiardnuf morf eye eud .ronod hctac kcab a a rebotcO syetrokraD noitcurtsnoC tuB rieht eht sthgis tes .roop yporhtnalihp no nwonk reh sah rof rof yhtapme htob dna dna yerfniW ,notraP harpO naoJ ylloD yetrokraD er’eW“ eW“ taht ”,kraps .dias ylno ton deen tsuj tsuj .enod ”.nugeb ev’eW naoJ yetrokraD ------------------------- EROM NOITAMROFNI tisiv ot siht ro tiforpnon erom .gro.wonidel nrael sti ni stroffe etanod tuoba oT ,airebiL ,etirw s’dlrow htiw hcihw ot eht eht eht eht taht ,secruos sniamer daer ,etar tseroop secalp rep eno no fo fo fo elpitlum gninaem ycaretil ycaretil emocni gnidulcni ni morf setamitse ,seirtnuoc semoc atipac ta sa dna ytiliba a dlroW detinU ehT ,snoitaN airebiL knaB ,%3.84 .4202 .2202 ataD* 217$
