Genesis Sylvester

My name is Genesis. I live with my mother and relatives in a small community called Frankjoe, a community in Gbarnga, a centrally located city in Liberia. I grew up in a family of seven including two sisters, a brother, my mother and father. My family endured great adversity as my unemployed father and my mother, with her small trade business, could not earn enough to efficiently provide our basic needs. The struggles of my childhood made me a stronger person and I have become someone who appreciates every opportunity to be alive.

Growing up, I was fortunate to have a Christ-centered family that introduced me to Christianity in my early childhood. I have had many opportunities to play an active role in ministry in my church. I connected to Young Life through the efforts of a leader, named Gbemie, who gave me my first invitation to Young Life club. Since the first encounter, Gbemie has helped to encourage, support, and develop me into a leader like herself.

My country, Liberia, is rich in natural resources including iron ore, forest, rubber, gold, diamonds, timber, etc. Yet noticeably, the benefits from these natural resources are distributed unevenly and the citizens remain relatively poor. It is my hope to acquire knowledge in natural resource management at Cuttington University, in order to gain a broad-based understanding of the interconnectedness of social, political, and ecological systems. I believe this knowledge will enable me to design solutions to help address natural resource conservation and management problems while promoting sustainable development in Liberia and elsewhere. Meanwhile, as a Developing Global Leader, I hope to develop and invest in new young male leaders for the growth of ministry in my community.