Mission Website

http://common03.missionsplace.com/

"In the face of a raging forest fire, a cup of water will be of no consequence in extinguishing the blaze."

Whitney J. Bain III

Hello,

My name is Whitney Bain.  I live in The Bahamas and have a burning desire to help persons locally and throughout the world to live better lives.

For most of my life I have assisted persons in some way shape or form.  From tutoring my classmates in high school and volunteering my services when I was in college, to actively engaging in numerous community projects and now to conducting international missions.

After meeting Pastor Titus Cheeks (a local Pastor from Monrovia, Liberia) online in 2013, we developed a relationship and several months later I was able to assist him with shipping over 1,000 pounds of books from The Bahamas to Liberia, in order for him to start a school in Monrovia in 2014.  On the heels of that gesture I was invited to conduct a leadership summit with several dozen ministries in Monrovia and a few surrounding counties.  After the invitation, we planned to stage the summit in 2015 but the Ebola outbreak prevented this from happening.  Disappointed yet not without hope, we postponed the trip to the Winter of 2016; and after all the planning, in February I found myself traveling to Liberia, West Africa for the first time.  When I arrived there I was able to see the needs of the people and discovered that above everything else they requested my assistance in building libraries to assist their people. This request touched my heart but I didn't have any money to make it happen.  Even though that was the case, I determined to do something with what I had. I had planned to travel back to Liberia in 2017 to implement aspects of the mission that was articulated in 2016 but the devastating hurricane in the Fall of 2017 damaged the island where I lived so badly that I felt it would have been in poor taste to ask a community for help when they themselves were needing a great deal of assistance.  So, again my return to Liberia was postponed to 2018.

  'Libraries for Liberia'

This 'Libraries for Liberia' Campaign is a large and involved 3-5 year project that is budgeted conservatively at 2.5 million US dollars.  It involves the creation of a primary Learning & Business Center in Monrovia and then smaller replicas of the design in several other counties. Once we establish the model we envision, it is our expectation that within 3-4 years the project will mature to a point where it will become self-supporting.  To achieve the financial goal of 2.5 million US dollars over a five year period, our fundraising efforts will be deployed in stages and as such you will find that our financial goal, as it relates to this Fundrazr Page will change a few times over the lifetime of the project.

The primary project in Monrovia is a library which will make up the greater portion of an overall learning and business center.  We feel that this approach will achieve the goal of creating a learning hub along with promoting the growth of entrepreneurship and industry.  Which address the need for knowledge as well as for employment and trade.  We seek to create an environment where persons would be able to find tools for leadership and personal development to make themselves more employable or more adept in their businesses, resources for biblical, scholarly and other types of research in addition to opportunities for international and cross-cultural learning and entrepreneurship.  A book store, cafe and administration office will also be housed in the facility along with other complimentary services.

Here is our fundraising schedule and donation increments: 

Donation increments

May – October 2018  Stage #1 Budget $85,000

$5,000 to aid in the initial costs of the mission, register as an NGO in Liberia, secure storage space in advance of shipping books and learning resources to Liberia, support volunteers, media and advertising/promotion costs

$20,000 to ship containers from The Bahamas to Liberia (2-3 containers)

$15,000 for customs clearance, logistics and transport in Liberia

$45,000 to secure location in Liberia (rent must be paid at least one year in advance in Liberia)

October 2018 - August 2019 Stage #2  Budget $975,000

$350,000 to retrofit the space, build book shelves and other furniture and pay for the labour and purchase other functional necessities locally

$175,000 to purchase additional books/resources to stock the facility adequately

$375,000 to secure ‘library science expertise’ and to train/employ on-site librarians/business center managers

$75,000 stage #2 miscellaneous costs

May 2020 - November 2023 Stage #3 Budget $1,475,000

Development of four (4) smaller satellite libraries

$700,000 to secure locations, retrofit the spaces, build book shelves and other furniture, pay for the labour and to purchase other functional necessities locally,

$225,000 to purchase additional books to stock the facilities

$375,000 to secure ‘library science expertise’ and to train/employ on-site librarians/business center managers

$175,000 stage #3 miscellaneous costs

Vision for 'Libraries for Liberia' Project (Learning & Business Center)

Possible Joint-Veture Construction Project - Housed in a 10,000 – 12,000 sq. ft. building

Medium/large library > 

          Library with a lab of 20+ computers

          Children’s library with a lab of 20+ computers

          Administration & Business Offices (6)

Business Center >

          Cafeteria & Food Court

          Stationary & Printing Store

          Retail Rental spaces (6-8)

          Meeting Hall

          Rental Offices & Business Center

Project Timeline: 3 – 5 years (36-60 months)

In order to achieve our five-year goal we ne ed to secure the involvement of at least 5,000 partners worldwide, who will commit to donating $500+ as a one-time gift or $100+ per year for five years.

The above donation scenario demonstrated is the most expedient way of reaching our goal other than if someone makes a more substantial one-time donation.  However; any gift will be accepted towards the eventual achievement of this goal.  Thank you!

Conclusion

The money raised will be used to secure a premises or a piece of property that is large enough on which to start the project.  Once we identify the premises or the plot of land, we will prepare the facilities for the receipt of the books and other support material for the project.  As an initial effort for this project, we will conduct a book and learning resource drive from June - August of 2018 on the island of Grand Bahama in The BAHAMAS, in order to get the resources needed for furnishing the start of the main library.  Portions of the funds raised will also be directed to the cost of shipping the container(s) to Liberia from The Bahamas and clearing them once they arrive.  Additionally, the funds will be used to organize the transport of the goods to the project site in Liberia in addition to the operational and training costs associated with the center. It is our intent to work with local community partners in Liberia in addition to the government in being able to successfully accomplish this goal.  

This particular fundraising effort is a major one and is the first stage of an overall vision to develop a facility that achieves the goals of delivering world-class educational and study opportunities, local and international business opportunities as well as an enhanced environment in which to do business!  If I had the money on my own I would not need to present my case to the world ... but I do not have the funds to address this task alone; so I need your help! 

Developing a small library will not serve the nation well.  The need is too great and too far-reaching to throw a band-aid at it.  It requires a grand effort, a methodical and all-encompassing approach along with everyone's involvement.  Like the old adage says ... Many hands make light work!

I believe in doing things professionally.  I involve my energies and focus into projects that make a difference and serve others well.  So, I would like to create something that we all can be proud of.  A functional learning and business center that stands the test of time, serves the people of Liberia well and gets more valuable as the years progress.  We can make a difference in the world by joining our financial resources to a project that enables a people to raise themselves far above their current situation and to embrace their limitless possibilities.

Blessings,

Whitney Bain 

1-242-458-0675

whitney_bain@yahoo.com