Educate Liberian girls for one year

What a wonderful month to celebrate the young girls who will grow into the fine women of Liberia! (In some countries, International 'Day' of the Woman (March 8th) spans the entire month of March. We think that's pretty cool.)

The country of Liberia has endured both joy and great sorrow in its history. In 1824, Liberia (the free land) was established and the majority of the newly arrived inhabitants were recently freed slaves coming from the US. Over time, Liberia saw many ups and downs, endured many conflicts and ultimately suffered the devastation of a horrible civil war that lasted from 1989 until 2003. During this civil war, an entire generation lost their right to live like normal people. They simply had no choice.

The manager of our in-country partner organization, Liberia Now, Pastor Emmanuel Gyamfi, recounted his memory of that time. "In 1989 the Liberian Civil War began. We thought that it wasn’t going to last long. We thought it would end soon. But we were very wrong. The war lasted longer than any of us thought possible. During this time we were robbed of everything we ever had, in terms of our “material possessions”. As the war became more terrifying, living in our community was no longer safe so we had to leave. I saw friends die. Anyone could die at any moment. Even dogs had more value than humans at that time. I had never experienced something so terrible."

Tragically, a 2005 study found that girls were entering the sex trade in order to pay for their education. In the report by IRIN African, one school's headmaster said, "This is very strange in our school system. Since their lovers or boyfriends pay their fees, they are under an... obligation to stay with that boyfriend or lover at night which may divert their attention from reviewing their lessons." (see article here)

In the same study, it is reported that the organization Save the Children notes that school fees are the number one barrier that girls face when seeking education. That's where you and Girls Ed step in to make the biggest difference in a girl's life - helping her gain access to education.

But Liberia is full of surprises and wonder. In a country so devastated by war and hatred, a woman - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - was elected president in 2005. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, along with Leymah Gbowee for their non-violent struggle to ensure the rights of women in the peace-building process in Liberia.

Ah, the magical powers of women. Which of our girls will grow up to be the strong leaders, the agents of change, the beacons of hope that guide Liberia into a brighter future!? Let's continue to suppor them and find out.

Thank you so much for your support thus far. Please continue to support us in our efforts because none of this can happen without you. Share our work with friends, bring us up in conversation, contribute any amount you can, and click the share buttons below to let others know how they can join us in this initiative.

Sincerely,

Rai Farrelly
Member, Board of Directors, Girls Ed