Educate Liberian Children

GIRL POWER AFRICA

girlpowerafrica.org  |  Empowering Women & Children in Liberia, West Africa

PROJECT REPORT

Educate Liberian Children

Project ID: 64767

Annual School Enrollment & Student Support Program

Organization

Girl Power Africa, Inc.

Project Name

Educate Liberian Children

Project ID

64767

Report Period

Academic Year 2025-2026

Report Date

April 2026

Project Location

Liberia, West Africa (Margibi County & surrounding regions)

Project Leader

Bulleh Bablitch-Norkeh, Founder & Executive Director

Total Funding Utilized

$64,350 ($110 per child x 585 children)

Funding Source

Individual donors, corporate partners, and GlobalGiving platform

Executive Summary

Girl Power Africa (GPA) successfully completed another transformative school year through its Educate Liberian Children initiative (Project ID: 64767). With total funding of $64,350, GPA enrolled and supported 585 children across Liberia — many of whom come from single-parent households or have been orphaned, neglected, or abandoned. Each child received a full sponsorship package valued at $110, covering tuition, school uniforms, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, deworming medication, and anti-malaria medicine.

This report documents the program's outcomes, the communities served, challenges encountered, and the lasting impact of donor support on the lives of children in post-conflict Liberia.

Background & Context

The Challenge in Liberia

Liberia, West Africa, continues to recover from the devastating legacy of a 14-year civil war and the subsequent Ebola epidemic — two crises that decimated the country's infrastructure, economy, and educational system. The impact on children has been severe:

• Over 80% of Liberia's schools were destroyed during the civil war.
• Approximately 75% of children aged 15 and above remain illiterate.
• 40% of Liberian girls aged 10–14 have never attended school (Girl Up).
• Children as young as five engage in street vending, agriculture, and domestic work due to poverty.
• Girls who lack access to education face heightened risk of rape, human trafficking, and forced early marriage.

About Girl Power Africa

Girl Power Africa is a grassroots nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by Bulleh Bablitch-Norkeh and the late Dr. Frederick B. Norkeh. Bulleh, born in Liberia and raised in Wisconsin, brings a unique perspective shaped by both American and Liberian experience. Having witnessed firsthand the suffering of Liberian women and children, she founded GPA to address poverty through two core pillars: children's education and women's entrepreneurship.

GPA is distinguished by its 100% direct-delivery model — every dollar donated to child sponsorship goes directly to that child's educational needs. The organization is supported by a U.S.-based board of directors and a dedicated team of in-country volunteers in Liberia.

Project Description

Program Overview

The Educate Liberian Children program sponsors children from the most vulnerable backgrounds for a full academic year. Children are drawn from single-parent households and those who are orphaned, neglected, or abandoned — populations for whom education would otherwise be entirely out of reach.

GPA's educational sponsorship of $110 per child per year provides a comprehensive support package:

What Each Child Receives

Why It Matters

School tuition fees paid in full

Removes the primary barrier to enrollment

School uniform & shoes

Ensures dignity and readiness for learning

School supplies & backpack

Equips children with essential learning tools

Deworming medication

Improves health and school attendance

Anti-malaria medication

Protects children in a high-risk disease environment

Annual welfare check-in

Ensures ongoing progress and wellbeing

Program Timeline

GPA follows a structured annual cycle to ensure all students are enrolled before each school year begins:

• August 1 – September 30: Annual School Drive fundraising campaign
• October – November: Founder Bulleh Bablitch-Norkeh travels to Liberia for in-person enrollment, materials procurement, and village visits
• December – February: Donor matching begins; photos, stories, and progress updates are compiled for each student
• March: Sponsor-student matches are announced; donors can view their matched child on the GPA website

Program Results & Key Metrics

Metric

Result

Total children enrolled & sponsored

585 students

Total program funding utilized

$64,350 USD

Cost per child (full-year sponsorship)

$110

Percentage of funds reaching children directly

100%

Children from single-parent households

Majority of beneficiaries

Children who are orphaned or abandoned

Significant proportion of cohort

Geographic reach

Multiple counties, including remote villages

Sponsor-student matches completed

All 585 children matched

Annual check-ins conducted

Completed for all enrolled students

Women also supported through sister program

Parallel entrepreneurship program active

Student Impact Stories

Throughout the enrollment process, Bulleh and her team document individual student journeys. These stories reflect a broader truth: for children in Liberia, one year of sponsored education can alter the entire trajectory of a life.

Donors are matched with individual children and receive updates on their sponsored student's progress, including photos and personal narratives. These connections create lasting bonds between sponsors and the children whose futures they are helping to shape. Student profiles are available at girlpowerafrica.org/category/our-students/.

Financial Summary

Budget Line Item

Amount (USD)

School tuition fees (585 students)

$~35,100

School uniforms & shoes (585 sets)

$~11,700

School supplies & backpacks (585 kits)

$~8,775

Deworming & anti-malaria medications (585 students)

$~5,850

In-country logistics, travel, & enrollment operations

Included in per-child cost

TOTAL PROGRAM FUNDING

$64,350

Note: Approximate line-item figures are based on the $110 per-child allocation model. Girl Power Africa maintains full financial transparency. 100% of child-sponsorship donations are applied directly to student needs.

Challenges & How We Responded

Operating in post-conflict Liberia requires flexibility and resilience. This year's program encountered the following challenges:

• Remote village access: Many students live in geographically isolated communities. Bulleh and her team traveled extensive distances to complete enrollments, ensuring no child was left behind due to their location.
• Infrastructure limitations: Liberia's roads and communication networks remain underdeveloped, creating logistical challenges for procurement and distribution of school materials.
• Waitlisted children: Demand for the program significantly exceeds current funding capacity. A growing waitlist of children eager to be sponsored represents both an ongoing challenge and a powerful call to action for new donors.
• Health barriers: Without preventive medications, illness significantly reduces school attendance. GPA's inclusion of deworming and anti-malaria medication in every sponsorship package directly addresses this barrier.
• Sponsor-student matching timelines: The manual process of photographing, documenting, and uploading each student's story requires significant volunteer effort, meaning matches are typically announced in March rather than immediately after enrollment.

Sustainability & Looking Ahead

Girl Power Africa's model is built for long-term impact. By re-sponsoring existing students each year, GPA ensures continuity of education — a critical factor given that interrupted schooling in Liberia rarely leads to re-enrollment. Key sustainability drivers include:

• Recurring donor relationships: Many sponsors renew annually, creating a stable funding base for existing students.
• Community partnerships: GPA works with local schools, community leaders, and families to identify the most vulnerable children and ensure accountability.
• Student Ambassadors Program: Board member Hope Mikkelson (Verona School Area District, Wisconsin) leads a student ambassador program that raises awareness and funds among youth in the U.S.
• Box Program: Supporters collect and ship clothing, soccer equipment, and other supplies to Liberia, reducing material costs and strengthening cross-cultural connections.
• Women's Empowerment integration: GPA's parallel program provides women with entrepreneurial starter goods, creating family economic stability that reinforces children's continued school attendance.

Looking ahead, GPA aims to expand sponsorships to children currently on the waitlist and to deepen its presence in rural Liberian communities where educational access is most severely limited.

Acknowledgements

Girl Power Africa extends its deepest gratitude to:

• Every donor and monthly sponsor whose generosity makes this program possible — you are the reason 585 children attended school this year.
• The GPA U.S. board of directors for their tireless administrative, logistical, and fundraising efforts.
• The in-country team in Liberia who coordinate enrollments, community outreach, and welfare check-ins on the ground.
• Hope Mikkelson and the GPA Student Ambassadors for inspiring the next generation of changemakers.
• GlobalGiving and all partner platforms that amplify GPA's reach and connect us with new donors around the world.
• The late Dr. Frederick B. Norkeh, co-founder, whose vision and dedication lives on in every child GPA serves.

Support the Next Generation of Liberian Leaders

For just $110, you can sponsor a child's education for an entire year.

Children are waiting. With your sponsorship, they receive tuition, a uniform, shoes, school supplies, and life-saving medications — everything they need to walk through the door of a classroom and into a brighter future.

Donate at: www.girlpowerafrica.org/donate/

Contact: info@girlpowerafrica.org  |  470-437-1826

Girl Power Africa, Inc. | 301 N. Sherman Ave., Suite 100, Madison, WI 53704

Girl Power Africa is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.