I had the honor of feeding children in a Malawi school for orphans. Indescribable…. We are all so blessed.

A Picture Says It All!

A visit with Rev. Angie Myles, the “Mother Theresa” of Sierra Leone!

We awoke early and packed 6 bags loaded with supplies for the kids in the back of a large Land Rover which Chris Clark had rented. The COTN vehicle had recently broken down which necessitated a rental. You never know what you are going to get over here so, it was a concern. We hit several road blocks along the way which would add a few more hours to an already long trip. Freetown is the first obstacle. It was founded by freed slaves primarily from England in the 1700s. Many today are descendants of those freed men. The city is one big traffic jam….roads designed in the 1800s trying to handle cars , motor cycles and a sea of pedestrian traffic. The streets are lined with open sewers and many of the buildings show the pock mark bullet holes as a reminder of the ten years of war that ravaged the country. After passing through Freetown, we stopped at the home of the Rev. Angie Myles. She was the voice of Radio Free Sierra Leone during the war. She regularly risked her life by broadcasting ,secretly.

She gave hope and current information to millions of her people. the rebels burned her house down twice. Today she is the retiring country director for COTN. When you sit and talk with Angie…you sit in the presence of greatness. Think “Mother Theresa”….After a light lunch we continue on the road to Banta….only another 4 hours.

Visit with Rev. Angie Myles at her home in Freetown.

Day 2 included a visit with Rev. Angie Myles at her modest little home in Freetown where she lives with her daughter and grandson. Angie is rather famous for her brave work during the war. She was the voice of radio free Sierra Leone….broadcasting hope, prayers and information during some of the worst combat. She was a target for the rebel forces, having her home burned down and destroyed twice.

Rev. Angie Myles was born and raised on the island of St. Lucia, in the West Indies. At the age of sixteen, she set off to a larger island—Great Britain, where she began nursing school. In 1966, she became acquainted with Joe Myles, a native of Sierra Leone who had also gone to London to pursue his studies. In 1968, Angie and Joe married, and in 1970 they returned to Sierra Leone to raise a family. They now have four children and four grandchildren.

Before coming to Children of the Nations, Rev. Myles worked for the United Methodist Church (UMC) in their medical department, where she was eventually promoted to medical coordinator. In 1983, the Lord gave her a vision in a dream; she was shown parts of heaven. When she woke up, it was impressed upon her to read Revelation 4. As she was reading, everything she had seen in her dream was written right there in Revelation. She thought, “Could this be, Lord? Is this really what you were showing me?” At that moment He impressed upon her that heaven is real—and so is hell. He said, “Now go and tell my children.” At this point she wasn’t exactly sure what He meant, so she continued on at UMC.

However, in 1999, the Lord again came to Rev. Myles and told her to get ready for a change, and in order to prepare herself, she should fast for forty days. After the forty days, He gave her instructions to go into children’s ministry. She remained with UMC, but out of obedience switched departments, moving into children’s ministry. Three years later, the Lord told her it was time to leave UMC. Stepping out in faith, she quit her job, not knowing how God would provide or where she would work.

She took a trip to London to see her son, Jeffery. Through God’s divine appointment, she was seated next to Chris Clark (founder of Children of the Nations) on her return trip. Impressed by Rev. Myles’ vision for Africa and her heart for children, Chris invited her to come see our Children’s Home in Marjay Town, outside Freetown. During her visit, Chris shared that Children of the Nations was currently seeking a new Country Director. She applied and has been with us ever since. (via conti.org)

Though Donoho has been faithful in supporting COTN’s ministry in Sierra Leone, he has always had a heart for serving the children of Liberia.  The American businessman spent part of his childhood in Liberia, where his father, a civil engineer, built the Port of Buchanan and the railway to the Nimba mountains.  In March, Donoho and Clark will travel to Liberia a second time, to discern a way forward for COTN’s ministry there.

Donoho brings years of experience as the president and CEO of Bird-B-Gone, the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of commercial grade bird control products.  His unique passions and experience with COTN will make him a valuable member of the leadership team.

Image via Wikipedia

Children of the Nations is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising children who transform nations. The organization currently serves in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Uganda, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Liberia, providing holistic care to orphaned and destitute children. For more information, visit www.cotni.org.

For more information contact:
Pam Wright, Senior Director – Advancement
360-698-7227 / pamwright@cotni.org

Bricks made with machine provided by Bird B Gone built this and other buildings to house orphans in Sierra Leone!

MISSION VIEJO, CALIF. — When Bruce Donoho, owner of Bird-B-Gone, traveled to Sierra Leone in 2010 to meet Alfred, an orphan he and his wife Julie had sponsored, he had no idea of the lasting impact it would have.

What has unfolded for Donoho and Bird-B-Gone since then has affected numerous lives both at home and in the West African nations he visited.
Donoho recently returned from his second trip to Liberia and Sierra Leone, where he completed one major philanthropic project, building a children’s dormitory, and set plans in motion for others. The impoverished nations continue to suffer from the devastating effects of extended rebel wars that destroyed much of their infrastructures and left many children orphaned. With unemployment rates topping 80 percent, most families live in poverty and malnutrition is common.

The Donohos first heard about Alfred through Children of the Nations International (COTN), a charitable organization pledging medical aid, safety, nutrition and education to the children of these and other nations in need. After sponsoring the child for three years, the Donohos wanted to meet Alfred and check out the credentials of the organization they’d backed.

Bird B Gone Family & Friends pack food for Children of Haidi

“This started out as, if we can just help or save one child that doesn’t have a lot of hope, it’s worth it,” Donoho said. “It’s turned out to be even bigger than that.”

Donoho lived in Liberia for a short time when he was young, but says the country is in worse shape today, with the prevalence of poverty, malnutrition, disease and lack of education.

After the first fact-finding mission, Donoho researched ways to make a lasting difference in both countries, dedicating money to build the dorm in Sierra Leone and funding a feasibility study in Liberia in hopes of building an orphanage there. Now the first project has come to fruition, a brick dormitory that can house as many as 30 children. “It’s a concrete example of what we can do,” Donoho said.

While bricks are a relative scarcity in these West African nations, the guesthouse is constructed of tongue-in-groove style bricks made onsite by a specialized machine Bird-B-Gone purchased. The idea for the machine came from Chris Clark, founder of COTN, who traveled to West Africa with him.

The portable device manufactures bricks using native materials and rocks. “It has worked out really well,” Donoho says. “Most of the buildings they have are mud and thatch,” said Donoho, “so this is one of their first brick buildings there, and it’s from the machine that we purchased for them.” Now the village is building other structures with the machine. The bricks also can be sold, Donoho noted. “It’s kind of an opportunity not only to build their own things but to create some sort of revenue for the orphanage,” Donoho observed.

Donoho’s companion trip to Liberia wasn’t quite as productive, where red tape hampered efforts to secure land and permits. “We’ve been able to get a faster response from the situation in Sierra Leone,” Donoho observed. “It’s already been established and they have a continuing need.”

Donoho admits he’s not much of a fund-raiser when it comes to financing efforts like these, so Bird-B-Gone paid for the project. But his colleagues got involved anyway. Some employees and industry colleagues have since sponsored children of their own. And Bird-B-Gone employees recently volunteered at three COTN-sponsored events, packaging thousands of meals for shipment to West Africa, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Witnessing the benefits of their assistance upon those who need it has been life-changing for himself as well as his employees, Donoho observed. “It has definitely enriched their lives,” he reflected. “As is often the case with situations like this where you’re serving, the person that serves is often the one that’s the most blessed.”

What’s more Donoho now identifies COTN as an organization that’s truly fulfilling its mission. “We’ve found in Children of the Nations the real deal,” Donoho said. “It’s really a joy to be hooked up with somebody that’s actually helping people.”

Donoho says the ongoing experience also ties in with Bird-B-Gone’s long-standing motto. “We’ve always said that it’s more than bird control products; it’s faith, family and friends,” said Donoho. “It gives us an opportunity to actualize that, to actually make a difference.”

Donoho plans to return to West Africa in early 2012 to further the cause. Ideas include building a medical clinic or church. He also hasn’t ruled out launching philanthropic efforts at home, particularly in light of recent news stories indicating a rise in U.S. poverty. “We’re always looking for a new area, and so recently it’s just becoming apparent that there’s a lot of need in the United States too.”

Being in business in these uncertain times, owners need to look beyond the bottom line and step up to worthwhile causes, Donoho says. “Everybody needs help. And so, in a small way, we’re doing that.”
To support these and similar efforts, visit COTN’s website, www.cotni.org.

Related articles

• Children of the Nations Launches Ministry in Haiti and Liberia (prweb.com)
• The Roof is Ready to Go Up! (birdbgonegivesback.com)
• Bird B Gone Helps Build Children’s Dormitories (birdbgonegivesback.com)

Bird-B-Gone and owner Bruce Donoho have a heart for the children of Sierra Leone and Liberea.  As a youngster, Bruce spent several years living in Sierra Leone and Libera with his family.  His father was responsible for building the railroad and harbor in Libera during the early 1960′s.  Since that time Bruce has always had a heart for the Liberian and Sierra Leone people.  When the opprotunity came about to help build a Childrens Village, Bruce and the Bird-B-Gone Family jumped at the chance.

The Bird-B-Gone Family welcomes you, our friends and family to join us in helping the Children of Sierra Leone.  If you would like to donate to the building in Sierra Leone, just follow the link to the Children of the Nations website.  Your prayers and good wishes are also welcome!

Please come back soon to see how the buildings are progessing and to share in Bruce’s upcoming visit to Sierra Leone and Liberia!

The dormitory is a part of the Childrens Village in Sierra Leone run by Children of the Nations. It will be used to house orphaned children in Sierra Leone, as well as visitors to the orphanage.

Bird B Gone would like to thank all of our customers.  Without your help we would not have been able to raise this building. A big thank you also to our friends who have given support to the children of Sierra Leone.

Building using local materials

The brick making machines use local materials to make the bricks on the building site.  This is much more economical and easier to supply as it is difficult to get building materials sent into the outback where most villages are located.