This project sponsors 15 high school girls in the Lower Virginia region of Liberia, outside the capital of Monrovia. With generous support of our donors, we hope to continue to expand our reach to the many more girls who hope to receive an education.
Liberia suffered a horrific, brutal war from 1989-2003. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed or displaced. The infrastructure was destroyed including the majority of schools. The education system came almost to a standstill. Although progress is being made, most public schools remain over-crowded. Many teachers lack the skills to effectively teach and better situated private schools are too expensive for many, especially girls who often are overlooked in family financial decisions.
Girls Ed has provided 47 girls with education scholarships since 2008. Currently, we partner with Liberia Now to offer scholarships for girls to attend private schools and are sponsoring 10 high school girls in the Lower Virginia region of the country. This number will be increased to 15 for the 2013-2014 academic year. Many more girls have applied for and are awaiting scholarships. With continued support, Girls Ed plans to expand our reach to bring scholarships to a total of 50 girls.
Uneducated girls have almost no chance to escape the cycle of poverty for them, their families and their communities. Poverty makes these girls more vulnerable to problems like sex trafficking and early marriage. Education gives them a chance at making better life decisions, getting better jobs, becoming an active part of their communities, and being part of the momentum in moving their country towards a stable civil society.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
