LOCATIONS
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United States The Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage headquarters in the United States in the midwestern community of Urbandale, Iowa. With a mission to provide high-quality care and love to orphan or vulnerable children in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and if possible, to find each child a loving forever family; the headquarters strives to stabilize and provide hope for all of the precious children cared for by our orphanage by working hard at the following:
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Raise awareness for orphans, provide educational presentations to churches, schools, business groups, and other interested groups.
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Raise funds to operate our orphanages.
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Identify new opportunities to help more children.
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Make adoption a possibility by informing our donors and supports of children that are available.
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Set up mission trips.
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IOWA
NIGERIA
Nigeria The vision is alive and well!
The orphanage all started when God gave Eric a dream to start an orphanage in his hometown. From a humble beginning in 2005, Eric banded together with a few people and today the orphanage has a loving staff, a proper home, and great volunteers that make a difference in our children's lives!
Today, the orphanage strives to fulfill the vision to “Share Love, Build Hope and Change Lives!” Those who have traveled to Benin City to the orphanage have had the opportunity to see what is happening and to meet the children. Thank you to all who have traveled, volunteered and donated… we continue to use your support in the most efficient way we can to give the children the opportunity to succeed in life!
Our staff loves the children and makes them part of a family, we are educating the children so they have hope and we are changing the lives of the children by giving them personal self worth to succeed after they leave the orphanage. One exciting example of the effectiveness of the staff is that all of the children in school passed the year-end exams to move to the next grade! This may seem like a small accomplishment until you realize that this is their first real school experience.
Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage in Nigeria desires to do more for more children who are now living on the streets and needs your help! There are opportunities for reconfiguration and expansion of the orphanage that would allow for more children and more changed lives!
SIERRA LEONE
Sierra Leone
Our second location of Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage planted in Pujehun, Sierra Leone. This location was a result of a passionate, devoted and caring family from the Pujehun district, Sierra Leone. Jeff U. Corneh, his wife (Musu), and two daughters (Mariama and Saata) had a dream of organizing and managing an orphanage in Sierra Leone to help the overwhelming population of orphans and vulnerable children in Sierra Leone who are direct casualties of the more than 10 years of brutal civil war. This dream was finally realized in November 2011 when Jeff registered Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage, Sierra Leone, with the Headquarters in Pujehun City, Pujehun District, Sierra Leone.
This location works closely with Eric Idehen, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage, Nigeria. Eric provided the initial information, courage and guidance needed to make the Sierra Leone location a reality. This location is served by the contributions and sponsorships of the Board of Directors in the U.S.
The orphanage serves as a local humanitarian organization in Sierra Leone and encourages all Sierra Leoneans and other nationals who have the well-being of children on their hearts — especially orphans and vulnerable children — to join this worthy course in any way possible to change the lives of these children and give them hope. This location’s motto is: “Hope is the Nutrient of Life.”
Jeff U. Corneh leads the operations for Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage, Sierra Leone. A native of Pujehun District, Sierra Leone, Jeff migrated to the U.S. with his daughter, Mariama, in October 1997. His wife, Musu, joined them in December 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia. They were blessed with another member of our family, Saata, in July 2004. Jeff completed his Masters in Accounting in August 2000. A week after graduation, he took employment with an International NGO called International Medical Corps, and went to Skopje, Macedonia and Pristine, Kosovo as the region’s Field Accountant.
Jeff was fortunate to work with team members who were directly responsible for orphan and vulnerable children population during that region’s civil war in 2000. Jeff came back to the U.S at the end of his assignment and settled in Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta he worked for one battery manufacturing company and one engineering company up to July 2010 when he relocated to Des Moines, Iowa. At that point, he was fortunate to meet Eric Idehen who introduced him to the Board of Directors of Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage in the U.S. This Board has since given Jeff the supports he needs to succeed in helping the orphans of Sierra Leone.