In the war on diamonds, civilians were targeted in a “rule by terror” by the Rebels United Front. (RUF) Ten thousand civilians became amputees. Only six thousand of them survived. P. Samuel Menyongar and his team of IMC volunteer leaders traveled throughout Bo, Kenema, the capital city of Freetown and surrounding war-wounded, displacement and amputee camps in the aftermath of the war, visiting the destitute, bringing healing and hope. They oversee well-digging projects, micro-loans, scholarships, bench & desk construction and other community projects. When we began our work in Sierra Leone, it was listed by Reuters as THE poorest country in the world.

Touch the Nations began supporting vulnerable people in Ethiopia in 2012. We want to advocate for those who are doing significant work serving the needy in Ethiopia.

Burundi and Rwanda share much common history, the same ethnic groups, and both experienced intense trauma during the 1994 genocide. Thousands were massacred. Women were abused and left destitute, children left orphaned and homeless.

Touch the Nations founder, Katja Starkey, first visited Burundi in 1999, and met a remarkable woman, known by the street children as “Mama Bread.” Katja was invited to help in feeding the famished children she had been reaching out to with the little resources she had. Every child was given 2 bread rolls. After being severely mistreated, this gesture was the very beginning of trust. Katja could not forget that experience, so when she returned to her teaching career in Omaha, Nebraska in 2003, she saved one third of her salary to purchase an orphanage and officially start a 501c3. Mama Bread, who had founded the Guilgal Center in 1997, was pouring herself out to encourage and support people who had been orphaned and widowed by war. Katja knew she had to get behind this local Burundian woman and help make her visions come true.

Touch the Nations began to expand its work into Liberia in 2015. Projects are under the same leadership of Samuel Menyongar and his team in Sierra Leone, whom we have worked with for over a decade. Liberia is Samuel's home country which he fled during the war in his youth.

Our initial work in Liberia in 2015 was two well-digging projects and scholarships. As of December 2024, we will begin digging for our 26th well!