​From the beginning, the founder and leader of Liamuiga International Outreach, Jabari Ra El, confronted the harsh truth of growing up without the constant presence of his parents. Born to a young mother who wed at an early age, Jabari, originally named Paul Thomas, quickly became acquainted with the suffering brought on by familial turmoil. His mother made the sudden decision to leave her family (husband and first-born) in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and move to St. Maarten, bringing a toddler-aged Jabari with her.

 

Distanced from his father and brother, Jabari spent two years feeling abandoned and bewildered. In time, his mother sent him to reside with his caring maternal grandmother on the beautiful island of St. Kitts (Liamuiga). Over the following eleven years, Jabari grappled with feelings of sadness and isolation due to the separation from his mother, father, and older brother. However, he discovered love and acceptance from both his maternal and paternal grandmothers. After eight years on St. Kitts, he was finally reunited with his brother, who had similarly endured the consequences of their parents' fractured marriage.

 

Nearly forty years ago, Jabari and his brother departed St. Kitts to join their mother, who had since moved to the Crown Heights section in Brooklyn, New York. As a 15-year-old, Jabari pledged to his cherished grandmothers, who had selflessly shared their limited resources with him, that he would commit his life to easing the financial struggles of people worldwide. Today, as the Founder and Governor of a 508(c)(1)(a) faith-based tax-exempt nonprofit organization, Jabari is making good on that promise.

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Jabari's path has been fraught with obstacles. Not only did he grow up without his immediate family, but at the age of ten, he narrowly avoided death in a Caribbean Sea (Newtown Bay) riptide after a catastrophic hurricane. Driven by personal conviction, Jabari aspires to be an inspiring figure and offer support to those who have experienced a challenging upbringing. Through providing guidance and resources, he is dedicated to helping individuals uncover and pursue their life's calling, regardless of the hardships they may have encountered in the past.