By Marcia Hull, Rotary Club of Destin
The back story of Zhalman Harris, one of our very own Destin Rotarians, is one that is worthy of sharing. Born and raised in a suburb of Monrovia, Zhalman grew up middle class with a childhood dream of becoming a pilot.
Those childhood dreams were shattered when Liberia entered a civil war in 1989. Zhalman traded dreaming and childhood innocence for survival amidst random executions, famine, air strikes, cross fires and even escaping death during the gruesome war. Witnessing random executions and atrocities, Zhalman, in most ways still a child, emerges a resilient young man, with hopes and the ability to turn the darkest time of his life into something positive.
Orphaned, but with extended family, Zhalman escaped his homeland, relocating to Ghana as a refugee. For 10 years on the refugee camp, he waits… waits for comfort… waits for peace… and waits for a place to call home.
The day Zhalman left Africa in the summer of 2000, he vowed never to go back, because of what he had seen and endured. Little did he know he would be overwhelmed with the urge to go back to Liberia 10 years later to help under-privileged children and educational needs.
Four years later in Destin, he met someone at a dinner party, who jointly set things in motion to go to Liberia. They would start a foundation called Aletha’s Hope in honor of his mother who was killed during that civil war in Liberia. A year later, Zhalman established Aletha’s Legacy to focus on his commitment to meeting the educational needs of Liberia’s orphaned children.
This story mesmerized and captured the hearts of Destin Rotarians and several community businesses. With the passion of several members of The Rotary Club of Destin and area community leaders, we stepped forward to lend humanitarian and financial support to Aletha’s Legacy.
The Rotary Club of Destin sponsored a classroom in a newly-constructed educational facility at Abedu-Bentsi School in Logan Town, Monrovia. The project features 10 classrooms, cafeteria, kitchen, boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, library, science lab and computer lab.
Views: 0
