Facing the education crisis head-on in Liberia: Business as usual is no longer an option
SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia
SOS Children’s Villages has been a champion of children’s rights in Liberia for 41 years. To ensure that children stay in school and learn efficiently, last year SOS Liberia supported 889 children in 36 communities in Buchanan and Monrovia. Next academic year, the figure will double. Which means even more students will have the opportunity to learn.
Jerry*, 16, a grade 9 student, is one of the 203 youth in SOS Liberia’s Youth Care Program. He is currently a student of the SOS Children's Villages School in Monrovia. “Many children are not in school because their parents cannot afford to pay their fees. Some are in the street selling water between cars,” Jerry lamented.
Jerry had the opportunity not only to attend school but also to take computer classes, where he learned basic computer skills. “I feel good that I can help my friends do their assignments. It feels better to support those who need help most,” says Jerry. “Because of the support received, I also have basic computer knowledge,” he added.
Currently, SOS Liberia is partnering with 80 schools to promote child-friendly classrooms. It is also contributing to the educational sector through the SOS Children's Villages School. Children and young people are being affected, and their lives are changing.
SOS Children’s Villages education program encompasses early childhood care and development, and entrepreneurship training.
Business as usual is no longer an option
Although there is good reason to celebrate the progress achieved over the past decades, we cannot lose sight of the many challenges children and young people still face every day. Access to education remains rare, and COVID-19 exacerbated the situation.
“An investment in children and young people pays the best interest, and no one understands that better than SOS Children’s Villages. We work to ensure that children’s rights are protected,” says Augustine Allieu, National Director, SOS Liberia. We are also currently living in an unprecedented time, and evidence suggests that COVID-19 is likely to derail decades of hard-won progress towards the rights of children and young people. “COVID-19 threatens the future of children and creates insecurity. In these exceptional times, business as usual is no longer an option,” Allieu added.
As a champion for children’s rights and protection in Liberia, SOS Children’s Villages believes there is a solution within reach. Education is an important tool to promote social good. Supporting children and young people is a powerful solution and response to this crisis.
*Name has been changed for privacy.
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About SOS Children’s Villages Liberia: SOS Liberia is a member of the SOS Children‘s Villages International Federation. Since 1981, SOS Liberia has been working to ensure that children grow up in a loving family environment and have their rights fulfilled. The organization is currently working in two locations in Liberia, Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties, with core programming focused on alternative care, family strengthening, and empowering youth.