Access to Education for Rural Children Liberia

Location: Kporkon Town, Monweh District, River Cess County, Liberia

Kporkon Town is a rural farming community in Monweh District, River Cess County. Children here have been without access to formal education since 2020, following the closure and collapse of the town’s only public school, Giemengbleh Public School.

Current Situation

Giemengbleh Public School was constructed from mud walls and wooden poles and was previously staffed by only one unpaid teacher responsible for more than 140 students. Due to a lack of government salary support, the teacher left, and the structure later collapsed. Today, the school stands roofless and abandoned.

As a result, children in Kporkon Town are no longer attending school. A 15-year-old boy, Jacob Beegar, who should be in the fourth grade, now spends his days working on farms with his uncle. Other children aged 10–17 remain idle or have dropped out entirely.

The nearest operational school is in BoeGeezaye, approximately a 54-minute motorbike ride away. Transportation costs LD$1,000 per day—an amount most families cannot afford. Because of this, only a few children have relocated to relatives in other towns to continue schooling, while the majority remain out of school.

Impact on Children and Families

The absence of education has had serious social and economic consequences:

• Increased child labor in farming and informal mining

• Rising school dropouts and teenage migration

• Loss of future livelihood opportunities

• Heightened risk of intergenerational poverty

Community interviews reveal growing frustration and hopelessness among parents and children who believe the education system has abandoned them.

Although national policies guarantee free primary education, rural communities like Kporkon Town continue to fall through the cracks.

Why This Matters

Access to education is a fundamental right and aligns directly with UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Children in Kporkon Town have been denied this right for more than four years, placing an entire generation at risk.

Next Steps and Project Focus

This project seeks to:

1. Rehabilitate or rebuild Giemengbleh Public School with a library, space for community food, and use local materials

2. Provide temporary learning spaces where needed

3. Support the deployment and retention of qualified teachers

4. Supply basic furniture and learning materials

5. Restore access to safe, local education for children

Conclusion

Kporkon Town has been identified as a high-priority, education-deprived community. With donor support, this project aims to reopen access to learning, restore hope for children, and break the cycle of poverty affecting families in this rural area.

Thanks to the generous support we've received so far, our GlobalGiving campaign has raised 165 CAD out of our target of 526,695 CAD. Though we still have a long way to go, this contribution has already made a small but meaningful difference.

What We've Achieved So Far:

With the money raised, we’ve been able to buy pencils and phonics textbooks for children in the village of Gbanken, a remote village in South Eastern Liberia. These essential learning tools are helping kids get a basic start in their education. The pencils allow them to practice writing and take part in daily lessons, while the phonics textbooks introduce them to reading and language skills.

Why This Matters:

For many children in these remote areas, even basic supplies like pencils and books are hard to come by. Your donations are helping to bridge that gap, making sure that these children have the tools they need to start learning and improve their future opportunities.

Next Steps:

We look forward to being able to provide additional supplies, support teachers, and eventually help build classrooms in these rural communities.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us bring education to children who need it the most!