Tovian Nelson
Tovian Nelson is a social entrepreneur, grant writer, and content writer. She has a natural talent for poetry and writes articles on family and humanitarian issues. As president and founder of the Liberia Women Media Action Committee (LIWOMAC), a nonprofit organization she founded to advocate for women’s rights in the media, she raised over $1.7 million in grants for humanitarian work. Through her work with LIWOMAC, she also led the creation of the first radio station for women and oversaw training programs that benefited more than 100 Liberian young journalists and at least 700 grassroots women and girls.
She is the owner of teviria.de, an online shop that provides information on a variety of topics and offers products that help small nonprofits cover their core costs and program initiatives for vulnerable women, children, and communities.
As a consultant for OXFAM-Liberia, she conducted a workshop for religious and traditional leaders on women’s health and reproductive rights. Presently, is enrolled in a nine-month civic education qualification program, focusing on democracy, cultural diversity, and African immigrant children.
Tovian had a difficult childhood and was raped when she was 8 years old. During the civil war in her home country of Liberia, she was raped again, like many other thousands of women and girls whose bodies became battlefields for armed men. She believes that poor and weak people are the most disadvantaged in any society and have no voice. Her passion to help is shaped her experiences, faith in Jesus Christ and conviction.