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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“When you’re a survivor of war, no matter what kind, but in this case; a senseless, needless war of mass bloodshed and destruction where innocent children are used as the weapon of choice—you can only look to God for answers for why you survived when so many did not?” Today, my family and I are confident in our calling to reach back and provide hope and relief to a generation of young people who are loosing hope for their future.”
- Q. Karmue, Co-Founder/Executive Director–SMK.
