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.