HISTORY OF
SAVE MORE KIDS
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OUR STORY
Surviving a Civil War
Quanuquanei A. Karmue, better known as Q, was a young boy when his mother Neyor attempted to flee war-torn Liberia with him and his four siblings. Unfortunately, through their journey, they encountered a group of rebel soldiers who were determined to add his mother to the mounting death toll. The soldiers, mere children themselves, forced Q’s mom to choose between her life and the lives of her young children.
Unwilling to watch her children die, Neyor left them behind and marched at gunpoint into a field to be executed. The soldiers ordered Q’s mother to undress and drop to her knees. With death seemingly moments away, she fixed her thoughts on God, praying that if he would only spare her life, she'd spend the remainder of her days helping children like the ones that were about to kill her. Luckily, her story didn't end there. Q’s younger sister, Kaluubah, then five years old, ran behind her, joining her in the field. Kaluubah threw her arms around her mother just as the rebel soldiers were prepared to kill her. At that moment, the little girl with the gun, who was ordered to kill Q’s mother was moved by what she saw and couldn’t bring herself to kill both mother and child. The little girl with the gun told Neyor it was her lucky day; she could get her clothes and leave.
It would take Q, his mother, and his siblings an additional year to finally escape Liberia and seek refuge in the neighboring Ivory Coast and eventually join Q’s father in the United States. Q’s mother would later go on to become a registered Nurse and achieve the family would achieve the American dream.
Quanuquanei A. Karmue, better known as Q, was a young boy when his mother Neyor attempted to flee war-torn Liberia with him and his four siblings. Unfortunately, through their journey, they encountered a group of rebel soldiers who were determined to add his mother to the mounting death toll. The soldiers, mere children themselves, forced Q’s mom to choose between her life and the lives of her young children.
Unwilling to watch her children die, Neyor left them behind and marched at gunpoint into a field to be executed. The soldiers ordered Q’s mother to undress and drop to her knees. With death seemingly moments away, she fixed her thoughts on God, praying that if he would only spare her life, she'd spend the remainder of her days helping children like the ones that were about to kill her. Luckily, her story didn't end there. Q’s younger sister, Kaluubah, then five years old, ran behind her, joining her in the field. Kaluubah threw her arms around her mother just as the rebel soldiers were prepared to kill her. At that moment, the little girl with the gun, who was ordered to kill Q’s mother was moved by what she saw and couldn’t bring herself to kill both mother and child. The little girl with the gun told Neyor it was her lucky day; she could get her clothes and leave.
It would take Q, his mother, and his siblings an additional year to finally escape Liberia and seek refuge in the neighboring Ivory Coast and eventually join Q’s father in the United States. Q’s mother would later go on to become a registered Nurse and achieve the family would achieve the American dream.
Karmue Family after crossing into the Ivory Coast.
A Promise
Years later when the war was over, Neyor and her husband Fungbeh sold everything they owned and eventually returned to Liberia to make good on her promise she made in the killing field years earlier. Upon returning to Liberia, they reacquired their family home and began making renovations on it. The site would later be named Christ Children’s Home (CCH), an orphanage where children of the war would seek refuge.
As an adult, Q finally returned to Liberia to help his mother fulfill her promise. While he was there, he saw the love, mentoring, dedication and values that were instilled in the children at CCH. He witnessed the impact the home had on the local children and wished that orphans throughout Liberia would experience the same level of care and love that CCH children received. Q knew it was not enough to care for just the forty-four children at CCH; he wanted to find a way to reach and serve hundreds of thousands more across the country. With a renewed sense of purpose and a mission greater than himself, Q and his wife, Wendy, formed Save More Kids (SMK), a California-based 501 (C)3 nonprofit organization, to provide resources and create opportunities for the forgotten children of post-war Liberia.
Pictured Below: CCH is the yellow building compound
Years later when the war was over, Neyor and her husband Fungbeh sold everything they owned and eventually returned to Liberia to make good on her promise she made in the killing field years earlier. Upon returning to Liberia, they reacquired their family home and began making renovations on it. The site would later be named Christ Children’s Home (CCH), an orphanage where children of the war would seek refuge.
As an adult, Q finally returned to Liberia to help his mother fulfill her promise. While he was there, he saw the love, mentoring, dedication and values that were instilled in the children at CCH. He witnessed the impact the home had on the local children and wished that orphans throughout Liberia would experience the same level of care and love that CCH children received. Q knew it was not enough to care for just the forty-four children at CCH; he wanted to find a way to reach and serve hundreds of thousands more across the country. With a renewed sense of purpose and a mission greater than himself, Q and his wife, Wendy, formed Save More Kids (SMK), a California-based 501 (C)3 nonprofit organization, to provide resources and create opportunities for the forgotten children of post-war Liberia.
Pictured Below: CCH is the yellow building compound
On September 9th, 1990, rebel leader Charles Taylor overthrew the Liberian government with the public execution of President Samuel Doe. Chaos ensued; men and women were killed indiscriminately on the streets and in their homes. Children were often forced to witness the the rape and execution of their parents, and the trauma that this caused fueled their sorrow and hatred turning even 8 year olds into soldiers on the rebel army. Even places like Sugar Hill became war grounds.
Through his perspective as an 8 year old boy, Q recounts checkpoints, killing fields, and massacres. Memories of mango trees and milk candy were replaced with the ceaseless echoing of gunfire. This is a story of perseverance and hope and finding the best in people during the worst of times. Become a WITNESS today and emerge yourself in the story of bravery and belief. |
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Our Mission & Vision
SMK's mission is to sustain the development of urban, rural, underdeveloped communities and societies by cultivating young minds, empowering youth and establishing sustainable resources that will give the next generation of Liberians an opportunity to lead a more prosperous future.
SMK's vision is to rebuild a nation by investing in a sustainable economic infrastructure that starts with the empowerment of the most valuable assets, the children of Liberia.
Pictured Below: Founder and Executive Director Quanuquanei Karmue empowering the Panta District, Liberia, January 2023
SMK's mission is to sustain the development of urban, rural, underdeveloped communities and societies by cultivating young minds, empowering youth and establishing sustainable resources that will give the next generation of Liberians an opportunity to lead a more prosperous future.
SMK's vision is to rebuild a nation by investing in a sustainable economic infrastructure that starts with the empowerment of the most valuable assets, the children of Liberia.
Pictured Below: Founder and Executive Director Quanuquanei Karmue empowering the Panta District, Liberia, January 2023
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