Kimmie Weeks

Kimmie L. Weeks is a lifelong humanitarian and development leader who has spent over two decades alleviating poverty and human suffering in Liberia and across Africa. As a child, he survived the Liberian Civil War and came close to death from starvation and disease. These early hardships inspired a deep determination to protect and uplift others, especially children. At fourteen, he co-founded Voice of the Future Inc. and launched the Children’s Bureau of Information. In 1996, he established the Children’s Disarmament Campaign, a nationwide initiative that brought global attention to the use of child soldiers in Liberia and called for their immediate demobilization.

In 1998, his activism led to threats on his life, forcing him to flee Liberia. He was later granted political asylum in the United States. While a freshman at Amherst College, he founded Youth Action International, an organization dedicated to supporting young people in post-conflict African countries through education, health care, and economic empowerment. The organization has since impacted close to one million people across six countries. In 2024, Weeks founded Hope Farm, which serves as a model agricultural and training center designed to equip young people with practical farming, agribusiness, and leadership skills.

Weeks’ leadership and impact have earned him international honors, including the Golden Brick Award and recognition as the Knight Grand Commander in the Humane Order of African Redemption, Liberia’s highest civilian honor. His work has been featured in several books and publications, and he has been the subject of major media coverage on CNN, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

He served as Corporate Communications Strategist for Cellcom GSM and Orange Liberia and as Chairman of the Board at the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation. He was also appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council, where he joined global experts in shaping international development policy.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2011. He serves as Executive Director of Youth Action International, Senior Director for Africa at Integrum Scientific, and Chief of Employment, Training, and Policy at the Delaware Department of Labor.

Through his work, Kimmie Weeks remains a powerful advocate for justice, opportunity, and lasting change, committed to building a future where young people across Africa and the world can thrive.