Swaliho M. Fofana, Executive Director

• Swaliho is the Lead Founder and Executive Director of YouthAid-Liberia, a national youth development NGO where he works as a Lead Focus Person for general and administrative duties, including supervising, developing and leading all YAL's programs and projects at local and global level.  Swaliho also work as a Revenue Auditor at the Liberia Revenue Authority, where he conducts audit and revenue compliance services on large taxpayers. Swaliho is a multi-task young professional and has a long standing experience in youth service and community development works and has developed many youth development project proposals. Swaliho has worked with the African Methodist Episcopal University's Human Resources Department as an HR Officer for Recruitment & Training, University of Liberia's Business & Finance Office as a Business & Finance Officer and partly worked as a Loan Officer at Access Bank Liberia Limited. Swaliho became the first Liberian student to serve as a Campus Director of the Hult Prize at the University of Liberia’s Campus Hub and later initiated, lunched and organized the 1st Edition of Hult Prize HP2018 OnCampus Business Idea Competitions among students of the UL. Swaliho is a 2018 Fellow of the 5th West African Executive Course on Human Rights and Drug Policy held in Accra, Ghana, which was fully funded by the Open Society Foundations, OSIWA and the University of Ghana, School of Law.  Swaliho holds a BBA degree in Accounting since 2013 from the University of Liberia, certificates in Fundraising Concepts, Creating & Maintaining Social Enterprises and Community Organizing for Action from YALI Network, The U. S. Department of State and has achieved series of capacity-building certificates from BSC Monrovia/iLab Liberia in Business and Financial Plan development and certificate in Project Planning & Management from the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), Project Planning & Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and Financial Management from Last Mile Learning, Certificate, Human Rights and Drug Policy at the University of Ghana and Certificated as an Intuit QuickBooks Certified User, Desktop QuickBooks Pro. Swaliho is a graduating candidate of MBA degree in Public Financial Management at the Financial Management Training School/University of Liberia Graduate School.  

                                

---

Alieu F. Feika, Senior Program Manager
As a Co-Founder of YAL, Alieu is a practical program development strategist with wealth of experience working with youth oriented and development organizations. Alieu has worked as Administrative/Research Assistant at the AME University Institutional Research Department; Data Collection Officer for a USAID funded Mosquito Net Project implemented by Liberia Monitoring & Evaluation Program (L-MEP) in Gbarpolu and Grand Cape mount and Bomi counties in 2014. Alieu have worked as a Project Manager, for YouthAid-Liberia (YAL) Community Action Against Polio Projects in densely communities in Montserrado County funded by LIP, GAVI Alliance and CRS Liberia, Civic & Voter Education Projects in Bong County funded by the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES). Alieu graduated with BBA degree in Accounting in 2012 from the University of Liberia and holds a certificate in Monitoring & Evaluation from the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA).

Ms. Janet Ricks, Volunteer Coordinator
Janet Ricks, a humble and diligent young female advocate joined YAL since 2015 as a Community Health Volunteer during the CAAP Project implementation in Montserrado County. Ms. Ricks currently serves YAL as a Volunteer Coordinator where she coordinates all YAL volunteers and voluntary programs (recruitment, coaching and mentoring) in Montserrado County and the regional counties (Bong, Lofa and Nimba) operations.
Ms. Ricks is currently a Second Year Student (Sophomore Student) at the African Methodist Episcopal University, where she studies Public Administration and minor in Sociology.
Since 2015, Ms. Ricks has participated in series of youth and female platforms at the US Embassy in Liberia, especially when she achieved a Certificate in Youth Female Leaders’ Political Dialogue. Ms. Ricks has also achieved certificates in driving and basic computer from the National & International Automobile Academy and Vital Technology Institute.  Ms. Ricks joined YAL with vast of work knowledge experienced from Citizen Bureau for Development & Productivity, Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Temple of Justice (Civil Law Court) as a Mediator, Protection Officer and Juror.  

Ms. Esther Sackie, Finance & Admin Assistant
Esther Sackie, a Champion of Gender Equality joined YAL Leadership Team in 2015 as an Educational Volunteer during the EducationUSA Advising Training Program at the US Embassy in Liberia. Esther is diligently serving as a Finance & Administrative Assistant for YAL, where she directs and coordinates all financial and administrative decisions, including data bases, financial managements and managing internal and external correspondences.
Esther is a Sophomore Student at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University, where she studies Criminal Justice.
In 2016, Esther participated and achieved certificates in Youth Female Leaders’ Political Dialogue from the US Embassy in Liberia. Esther is a 2016 graduate of the Young Political Leadership School (YPLS) Semester Two, a civic leadership building program for young people organized by NAYMOTE. In 2010, Esther extensively worked as a Child Broadcaster for Star Radio, especially volunteering as a Child Broadcaster on the International Children Days of Broadcasting (ICDB).

Varlee M. Kanneh, Program Assistant
As an Information Technology Enthusiast with dream to become a Programmer, Varlee joined YAL Leadership as a Community Cleaning Volunteer in 2013 and subsequently served as Supervisor for the Community Action Against Polio (CAAP) Projects in Montserrado County in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Varlee currently serves YAL as Program Assistant in the Program Management Unit with key duties being focused on playing liaison roles between YAL-PIU and partners/donors and other local and international organizations.
Varlee is a student of the University of Liberia studying Economics major with emphasis in Accounting.
Varlee has achieved extensive capacity building training certificates in Business & Financial Plans Development, IT for Small Businesses, Project Management basis from the BSC Monrovia, iLab Liberia, LIP and CRS Liberia. Varlee was among a batch of young thinkers invited by the US Embassy in Liberia to view and analyze the 2016 US Presidential Elections and he subsequently achieved certificate in Youth Leaders’ Political Dialogue.    

Joshua Lablah, County Focus Officer-Bong County
Jouhua, a devoted young man joined us as a Civic & Voter Educator during the implementation of the Civic Voter Education Project on the Special Senatorial Elections in 2014, which was conducted in Bong County (districts 3 & 4). After tremendously working as a CVE Volunteer, Joshua was subsequently elevated as a Site Supervisor in Joequelleh and Panta-Zota districts, especially working as a local translitor in Kpelleh Vernacular. Joshua used his local vernacular to educate thousands of his kinsmen about the Voter Registration Exercises which greately impacted the CVE Project in Bong County.
Since the completion of the CVE Project in Bong County, Joshua has been serving YAL as a County Focus Officer in Bong County, where he coordinates all YAL programs through the supervisions of the Program Manager and Volunteer Coordinator.