When Goumah Conde, a licensed marriage and family therapist from Liberia, speaks about her work, one thing is clear she is deeply committed to moving girls from labels to solutions.
As the founder of Every Girl Lives Empowered (EGLE), Goumah is tackling one of the most overlooked crises in post-war Liberia: unresolved trauma among young girls.
Moving Beyond Labels
Growing up in Liberia, a country that endured 13 years of brutal civil war, Goumah repeatedly heard young girls described with damaging words “hopeless,” “useless,” “problematic.” What many failed to acknowledge was the context: these girls were growing up in the aftermath of war, without structured rehabilitation or mental health support.
“They had behavioral issues, yes,” Goumah explains. “But many were dealing with complex trauma.”
Rather than join the chorus of criticism, she chose to create solutions.
That decision led to the birth of Every Girl Lives Empowered a trauma-focused initiative supporting girls between the ages of 13 and 25.
Understanding the Real Issues
As a therapist specializing in trauma and attachment, Goumah works with the entire family system couples, individuals, and young women.
The girls who come through her program often present with:
- Anger and emotional outbursts
- Nightmares and sleep disturbances
- Distrust and hypervigilance
- Inappropriate sexual behaviors
- Difficulty functioning in school or at home
“These are not ‘bad girls,’” she emphasizes. “Their nervous systems are overwhelmed.”
Trauma disrupts how the brain and body function. Without intervention, it affects relationships, education, and long-term life outcomes. Goumah’s goal is early intervention — healing trauma before it hardens into lifelong dysfunction.
“If we catch them early and resolve the trauma early, they go on to live productive lives.”
Stories of Transformation
Over the past three years, approximately 150 girls have gone through her programs from summer camps to weekly counseling sessions.
Some of the stories are deeply moving.
One young woman, married at an early age, struggled in her relationship due to severe past sexual abuse. She could not allow her husband to see her body and their marriage was filled with tension. After counseling, she shared a breakthrough moment: for the first time, she felt safe enough to shower with her husband.
Her husband later sent Goumah a message of gratitude, saying their home was now happier and more peaceful.
Another young woman entered the program deeply distrustful, convinced her privacy would not be respected. Slowly, through consistency and care, she opened up. Today, she is in college, thriving academically, and no longer plagued by nightmares.
These are the quiet victories that fuel Goumah’s work.
The Financial Strain of Free Healing
While the impact is powerful, the journey has not been easy.
The program is offered free of charge but running summer camps alone costs between $8,000 and $10,000. In three years, she has raised only about $9,000 in total. The majority of funding comes directly from her own pocket, including travel, accommodation, logistics, and even school sponsorships for some girls.
“It’s very strenuous,” she admits.
Yet she continues.
Protecting the Healer
Working with trauma survivors can be emotionally heavy. Goumah is open about the toll it can take.
After intense sessions, she processes her own emotions with a senior clinician mentor. Through supervision and guided reflection, she regulates her own nervous system ensuring she remains healthy enough to serve others.
It’s a reminder that even those who heal need healing.
The Vision: A Dedicated Healing Facility
Looking ahead, Goumah’s dream is clear: to build a permanent facility in Liberia.
Currently, much of her budget goes into renting spaces for camps and sessions. A dedicated center would allow:
- Weekly trauma counseling programs
- Skill-building workshops
- Public speaking training
- Confidence and etiquette development
- Reintegration support into society
Her approach is focused. While many organizations concentrate on education and vocational skills, Goumah stays within her expertise trauma healing believing that emotional restoration is the foundation for everything else.
She wants these girls not just to survive Liberia but to thrive globally.
Faith as Foundation
Goumah’s work is grounded in her Christian faith. She believes identity is central to healing.
“When you know who you are and whose you are, the world cannot define you,” she says.
Her message to girls who feel unseen or unheard:
- What happened to you does not define you.
- You were created to be important, seen, and heard.
- You may not control what happened — but you control what you do with it.
- Seek help. Find safe people. Change the story.
Beyond Liberia
Though Liberia remains her focus, her vision extends beyond borders. She has already supported young women in Nigeria and Namibia and hopes to expand across Africa.
Because trauma does not respect geography and healing should not either.
At Just4WomenAfrica, we believe stories like Goumah Conde’s deserve amplification. In societies where mental health is often stigmatized, her work reminds us that empowerment is not just about economic opportunity it begins with emotional restoration.
When girls heal, families stabilize.
When families stabilize, communities strengthen.
And when communities strengthen, nations rise.
Every girl deserves that chance.
