Liberia hosted the eighth edition of the Strengthening Families Conference June 19 and 20 at the EJS Exhibition Complex in Monrovia, bringing together cabinet ministers, lawmakers, faith leaders, diplomats and youth advocates from across West Africa for two days of dialogue on rebuilding the family as the foundation of national stability.
Convened under the theme “Strengthening Families, Empowering Youth, and Building Resilient Communities,” the conference was organized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was free and open to the public.
Organizers said the program reached thousands of participants in person and online through live streaming and viewing centers.
The conference is held annually in a different country, having previously convened in Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone. Monrovia marked the first time Liberia served as host.
Organizers announced that the 2027 edition will move to Cotonou, Benin.
Elder Prince Nyanforh of Area 70 in Liberia welcomed delegates in his opening remarks, framing the family as society’s first institution and primary safety net.
He said strengthening families is a shared responsibility that no single institution can carry alone, calling for sustained collaboration among governments, faith-based organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Roberta Gbowee delivered one of the conference’s defining addresses, drawing on her upbringing to argue that strong families are built on giving children voice, choice and space.
She recounted how her father refused to allow his daughters to undergo female genital cutting and instead invested in their education, and she described her foundation’s partnership with the chief imam that has placed dozens of rescued Muslim girls in universities. “Strong families create stronger children, and stronger children build stronger nations,” she told the audience.
Speaking on behalf of the Africa West Area Presidency, Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran acknowledged the lasting toll of Liberia’s civil conflict on family structures while pointing to grandparents and extended relatives who continue to raise vulnerable children.
He outlined four needs for empowering young people: values, mentorship, education and skills development, and a sense of belonging.
He cited the church’s BYU Pathway Worldwide, Succeed in School and Gathering Place programs as examples of family-centered support open to members and non-members alike.
Government voices echoed the family-first message.
Honorable Fode E. Kape, chief of staff to First Lady Kartumu Yatta Boakai, delivered remarks on her behalf and urged policymakers to enact protections for the next generation.
Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection Gahme S. Tokpa cited a 2022 study by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and UNICEF estimating that more than 366,000 children work as street peddlers across Liberia, and she described a phased, five-year ministry effort to address the problem.
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs delivered an address on behalf of Nigerian minister Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who tied family strength to youth empowerment, mental health and responsible use of technology.
Jennifer Hawks, executive director of Engage Now Africa, invoked the Akan concept of Sankofa to call for recovering what matters most from the past while building circles of care, protection and opportunity around young people.
Archbishop Gabriel Blamo Snosio Jubwe of the Archdiocese of Monrovia urged practical investment in skills development, vocational training and financial literacy, noting Liberia’s median age of 19.
He challenged delegates to share a meal with their families without phones, to enroll in a skills course or savings group, and to learn the names of their nearest neighbors.
Former Deputy Minister of Information Kadiatu K. Brohiri addressed leveraging technology responsibly, telling participants that a smartphone without values becomes a distraction while technology guided by character becomes transformation.
The youngest speaker, Abigail Freeman, appealed to leaders, parents and the international community to invest in young people, declaring, “One finger cannot pick up a stone.”
Dr. Bridget C. Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott School of Business, spoke on developing good leaders, describing leadership as a skill learned through mentorship and example and contrasting “organizational light” with “organizational darkness.” Panel discussions across both days featured government officials, bank executives, traditional and religious leaders, and lawmakers debating the erosion of family values, the role of the internet and the path to resilient communities.
Among the recognitions, the conference honored Abdul Manaf Kemokai of Defence for Children International Sierra Leone, the 2025 Family Values Award recipient, whose work in child protection was featured in a success-story presentation. Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor took part as a panelist and special guest.
The program also featured cultural performances by the Liberian Cultural Dance Group, choral and musical numbers, and an exhibition of Liberian businesses and church service organizations.
Organizers also marked the groundbreaking of the Du Port Road Maternity Hospital in Montserrado County and a classroom project in Bong County as tangible outcomes tied to the conference’s family-strengthening agenda.
Speakers throughout the two days returned to a common refrain captured in a Liberian proverb cited from the stage: one broomstick breaks easily, but a bundle cannot be broken.
About the Strengthening Families Conference
The Strengthening Families Conference is an annual gathering organized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and hosted in a different country each year. The conference convenes families, youth, educators, faith leaders, civil society and government partners to promote unity, stronger families and resilient communities across Africa. The 2026 edition was held in Monrovia, Liberia, with the 2027 edition scheduled for Cotonou, Benin.
