the liberian development foundation was founded in 1982, by the catholic society of african mission to promote socio-economic and human development in liberia. the country erupted into civil wars from 1989 to 2003 (first and second liberian civil war). during this 14-year period, many liberians were killed, brutally beaten, robbed, and raped. liberia experienced all the ills of war. the war took the lives of approximately 250,000 liberians and displaced about a million more. the economy crashed, and the political leaders turned to corruption. the war had a wide-range impact on the socio-economic lives of the youth of liberia, especially ex-child soldiers, and forced a stop in the foundation’s activities, until the foundation came back to life in 2001 when dr. joseph korto took the lead of the foundation and started to gain the support of big donors, such as montgomery county public schools and other institutions in maryland. in 2005, dr. korto went back to liberia and run for president in the first democratic elections of post-war liberia. when ellen johnson sirleaf won the elections, dr. korto was appointed minister of education and took office in january 2006, leaving the foundation to avoid a conflict of interests. in 2008 the leadership of the foundation passed to nyan korto.