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Kimmie Weeks was born on December 6, 1981 in the West African Nation of Liberia. The youngest of several children, Kimmie Weeks grew up in Monrovia. In 1989, Kimmie's relatively normal life was shattered by the onset of the Liberian civil war which started in 1989 when he was nine years old. The war forced Kimmie to experience poverty, and extreme human suffering. He recalls observing the plight of other children who seemed to suffer more then he did. He recounts, <blockquote> “all through the war, I saw children suffer worse then I. I watched children die, cut down by bullets or disease that in other parts of the world would be considered no longer a threat. I saw children in my country spend long days on the streets of the capital under the blazing African sun trying to sell goods for their families to survive, while thousands of others carried guns, fighting and killing one another. I saw the growing number of young children barely in their teens who were becoming prostitutes. School for these any many others was a fantasy.”[1] </blockquote>
During the war, Kimmie Weeks became so hungry and sick that he was declared dead and nearly buried alive..”[2] That same night, Kimmie vowed to dedicate the rest of his childhood and adult life to making the world a better place for children. By age 10 he had already set himself on a trail of goodwill. His first achievement came when he organized a group of local volunteers to clean communities littered by debris of war. That same year, he would volunteer in understaffed temporary hospitals, caring for sickly babies and children. “It was there that a child first died in my arms and I knew then and there what it felt like for a mother who lost her child,”[3] he says when he recounts his experience. Three years later, Kimmie would serve as co-founder of Voice of the Future Inc. (VOF), Liberia’s first child rights advocacy and humanitarian organization, run by young people his age.
Kimmie Weeks co-founded Voice of the Future Inc. (VOF) in 1994 along with Richlieu Allison. The organization set its mission to work as an advocacy organization for the rights of children in Liberia. Over the years, it developed close connection with the United Nations and worked as an implementing partner for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). VOF provided informal health care and education to children across Liberia through a network of more than 4,000 volunteers..”[4]
In 1996 Kimmie, now 15 founded and chaired the Children’s Disarmament Campaign. With support from UNICEF, the campaign lobbied a deadline for the disarmament of child soldiers, meeting warring faction, political, spiritual leaders and heads of civic societies to set a date for the disarmament of child soldiers. Several marches, indoor programs and publicity campaigns were also held to attract attention to the cause.”[5]
In 1997, with the holding of general disarmament in Liberia, Kimmie established Liberia’s first children’s information service, The Children’s Bureau of Information, which worked along side Search for Common Ground/Talking Drum Studio to produce radio programs aimed at reintegrating child soldiers into the community. The 15-minute weekly broadcasts are aired on 3 local radio stations.
In December 1998, Kimmie investigated and published a report on the training of children by the Liberian military. As a result, several attempts were made to assassinate him..”[6] Shantha Bloeman, a media consultant for UNICEF notes: "he always knew that he was risking his life for being so outspoken, but he really believes young people can make a difference and have a responsibility to do so." [7] Fearing for his personal safety, Kimmie Weeks fled Liberia in early 1999 and has since been granted political asylum into the United States. His dream for the future of children has not died, but has only been strengthened with time.
Once he arrived in the United States, Kimmie Weeks enrolled and completed his final year of high school at Glasgow High School in Newark, Delaware. He than enrolled at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA where he completed a post graduate program. In 2001, Kimmie Weeks enrolled at Amherst College in MA and received a BA in Political Science and History in 2005...”[8]
While at Amherst College, Kimmie Weeks founded Youth Action International. The organization aims to raise awareness and provide an outlet for young people in the United States to engage in humanitarian work abroad. Youth Action International currently works in six post-war African countries providing humanitarian services to thousands of people. ..”[9] Kimmie currently serves as the organizations Executive Director while also working on his Masters at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kimmie Weeks remains a vocal advocate for childrens rights around the world. His annual speaking tour reaches more than 40,000 people. He has also been selected for many awards including the MLK Peace Medal, the 1998 Goodwill Games Medal for heroism in the face of adversity, and the 2007 Golden Brick Award.
In 2007, Kimmie's photo and bio appeared on 20 million bags of Doritos...”[10] He is the subject of a major photo exhibit, the book Peace in our Lifetime, and many smaller publications.
Kimmie Weeks currently resides in Philadelphia.