Hello!
The Founder, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, following her return home to her native land Liberia, after the war, traveled across the nation and saw the devastation, hopelessness, and despair of her people and she wondered whether anything could be done to bring relief and hope to inspire the citizens “that a better day would come”.
As she pondered on what to do, she remembered the story called THE STARFISH THROWER written by Loren Eiseley and its lesson that “indeed to help one person at a time could make a difference”. She then began to provide educational support, through scholarships and mentoring for girls. The story which serves as the inspiration for this undertaking is presented below:
“Once upon a time, there was a wise man, much like Eiseley himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead, he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young man paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in they’ll die. Replied the young man.
“But young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. “It made a difference for that one!”
His response surprised the man. He was upset. He didn’t know how to reply. So instead, he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.
All-day long as he wrote, the image of the young man haunted him. He tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon, he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed out on the essential nature of the young man’s actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and watch it pass by. But was choosing to be an actor in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed.
That night he went to bed troubled. When the morning came he awoke knowing that he had to do something. So he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man. And with him, he spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish
into the ocean.”
Being inspired by the little boy’s immeasurable kindness to starfish, believing that any iota of help to a needed person indeed “makes a difference” remains the propelling force that led to the establishment of the ‘Jewel Starfish Foundation: providing opportunities to females, one at a time. Under implementation for over twenty (20) years now, the Founder has sought support and provided assistance for thousands of females, through the provision of scholarships, economic empowerment, and mentoring. The dream remains alive now, more than ever before, as the Foundation continues to provide these opportunities to females in order to help them live and become true foundation builders and role models to the next generation of Liberians and to countries beyond its borders.