Our Founder

Kartumu Yarta Boakai (KYB), the visionary founder of the KYB Foundation, was born on August 6, 1950, in the humble village of Jawajeh Varney Boohn, Bomi County. As a young girl, KYB experienced the harsh realities of poverty firsthand. It wasn't until she was ten years old that she had the opportunity to attend grade school, having walked long distances like many African children to reach her classroom. Her early life was marked by nights without food, drinking unsafe water, and battling illnesses like malaria. Despite these challenges, she demonstrated remarkable resilience, often wearing the same set of clothes for days. KYB's experiences shaped her into a selfless individual, deeply committed to change, discipline, and hard work.

Her Excellency Kartumu Yatta Boakai's journey from a humble village in Jawajeh Varney Boohn, Bomi County, to becoming the First Lady of Liberia is a testament to resilience and determination. Having personally experienced the harsh realities of poverty, including walking long distances to school, enduring hunger, and facing the challenges of limited access to basic necessities, she understands the struggles that many Liberians face daily. Her story is one of overcoming adversity through discipline, hard work, and an unyielding belief in the power of change.

The idea to establish the KYB Foundation was conceived in August 2013, as a way to preserve and extend the legacy of KYB’s selflessness and dedication to humanity. This vision was shared among a group of like-minded individuals who, after two years of strategic planning and structural formulation, officially registered the Foundation as a non-profit charitable organization on June 29, 2015.