About us
Refuge Place International (RPI) was established in 2009 in response to the high maternal and child mortality rates in Liberia, one of the world's poorest countries. According to the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services, 50.9% of the population lives in abject poverty, and over 65% live on less than $2 a day. Access to quality healthcare is severely limited due to poor road conditions, a lack of ambulances, and a high unemployment rate of approximately 85%.
RPI collaborates with community leaders to build clinics through strong partnerships between the local community and RPI. A minimal fee is charged for a full range of treatments, which include laboratory services and ambulance support for the referral of complicated cases. RPI offers free medical treatment to the blind and the elderly (65 years and older), benefiting over 2,500 elderly individuals. For poorer community members who cannot afford treatment costs, RPI provides an aid program that allows them to receive services free of charge. Many RPI patients travel long distances to access these clinics, as they are often the only option for quality and affordable healthcare.
Refuge Place International (RPI) currently operates three clinics:
Bassa Town Clinic – The Head Office, located in Gardnersville, Montserrado County.
Low Cost Clinic – Situated in Bensonville, Montserrado County.
Nyema Clinic – also located in Bensonville, Montserrado County.
In addition, two new clinics are nearing completion:
A clinic in Arthington, Montserrado County.
A clinic in Valenga, Bong County.
OUR MISSION: We aim to develop a replicable healthcare model tailored for economically disadvantaged and marginalized individuals in urban slums and impoverished rural communities in Liberia. This model seeks to empower these communities to establish and sustain high-quality maternal, newborn, and child (MNC) care services, with the ultimate goal of reducing the region's high MNC mortality rates.
OUR VISION: Our vision is to foster the healthy transformation of peri-urban slums and impoverished rural communities in Liberia. We aim to empower women, men, and children through medical and public health interventions, coupled with quality healthcare services, to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality.
OUR CORE VALUES: Compassion, Hard-work, Accountability, Transparency & Partnership
Core Services
Maternal health care: antenatal care, deliveries, postnatal care.
Pregnancy and childhood vaccinations in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Health.
General health care: high-quality health care for all.
Community outreach: Community Health Workers track pregnant women, children, and elderly in the catchment area and provide health services and health education within the community.
Pharmacy
Ambulance service for referral to hospital pharmacy.
Laboratory for diagnostic tests.
Eye clinic and eye screening outreach in collaboration with One Dollar Glasses USA.
Hand pump for clean water: accessible to the community.
RPI Co-investment Model
Community leaders build consensus and provide labor and local materials (for example: bricks and planks)
RPI and partners provide costly external materials for villages (for example: zinc, cement, steel rods, and nails)
Cheaper cost of building a clinic. The average cost is less than $US25,000
Strong community ownership = Sustainability
How we work
Transparency and Efficiency
We conduct independent external audits and conduct on-going monitoring and evaluation to foster transparency and ensure continuous improvement.
Who we serve
We focus our efforts on low-income communities where most residents cannot afford healthcare costs and are the least likely to seek medical attention.