Quienette Mbakellah was born in Liberia on May 21, 1986; and was raised by a single mother with help from her maternal family members. In 1996, she and her family (mother and brother) fled the civil war in Liberia to seek refuge in Ghana; where she attended the Buduburam Refugee School. Daily life as a refugee in Ghana was clouded with daunting and challenging experiences. With very little to eat, no money for personal effects, the lack of very basic needed supplies, etc. Quienette sold pastries made by her mother, and went to school. At age 14, with her mother’s help, she would organized bake sales for girls at her age to help themselves to attend school. Later, she started a small group named “Siah”(her middle name), to celebrate the birthdays and graduation ceremonies of each member; they also did school-homework and studied the bible. She was an inspiration to her peers and younger girls. These were the new normal for eleven years in the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana.

In 2007, Quienette and her family returned to Liberia, and two years later, she formed a small group called “Kids Mentoring Group”(KMG) to mentor young girls in her community.  They focused on academic improvement, study and tutorial classes, bible study, dance club and baking sessions to keep the kids engaged and productive in the community. By 2011, they had reached out to 50 children between the ages of 4-14 years in the Matadi community in Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia.  Then, it became clearer that Quienette had the call of God on her life to become an advocate for the least fortunate, disadvantaged and afflicted children.

Quienette later graduated from college (the United Methodist University) in Monrovia, with a BA degree in Sociology; she migrated to the United States and enrolled at the Delaware Community College in pursuit of an Associate of Arts degree in Social Work. While in the United States, in her drive to continue her advocacy for children, she organized and established the International Children’s Alert (ICA), Inc. In 2014, the ICA mobilized assorted medication, food items, clothes, and provided cooked meals to over 200 children in Suehn Mecca District and the Belleh David’s Orphanage in Bomi County, Liberia. These are ongoing activities of the ICA toward identified communities as needed resources become available. 

Quienette Mbakellah is a social worker, living and schooling in the state of Pennsylvania. She continues to be inspired by the works and lives of her grandparents (Rev. Gbessi and Esther Kemah), Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Harvey.