Support Liberian Adult Education

Welcome to the Imani House Liberia Adult Education Program! This is the very first update of our program on GlobalGiving. Although this is our first report on the GG platform, you may be surprised to learn that IMANI HOUSE has provided free reading, writing, science, and math classes primarily to Liberian Market Women since the early 1990s! So we are delighted to reach out to you to share the wonderful work we are undertaking in Liberia, West Africa.

The Founder and Executive Director of IMANI HOUSE during the late 70s and early 80s, while researching innovative ways to teach her children math and how to read and write, discovered an amazing program called Laubach Way to Reading English created by Frank C. Laubach. The "Each oneTeaches One"  literacy program uses a unique, four-leveled, phonics-based reading and writing program that has helped millions of adults with limited or no reading skills by teaching lessons and writing through image association of letters with sound. Although Dr. Laubach created the technique for Adults, the Director successfully used it for her children.

She also bought this LAUBACH method when she immigrated to Liberia in 1985 with her husband and family. By this time, she had become a specialist, and Laubach certified Way to Reading trainer. The Executive Director continued using the technique to teach her children and many others. At that time, illiteracy was very high in the country, somewhere between 67-68%. Like many other African countries, Liberia had a high illiteracy rate during pre and post-colonial periods. When Civil War hit the country in the 1980s, the educational system completely collapsed, and some believe the illiteracy rate went as high as 75%.

Since early on during the war, the IMANI HOUSE organization tried to bridge the educational gap, setting up literacy classes for IDPs (internally displaced persons) 22 years ago. The work continued throughout the war,  as the Imani House Liberia Adult Education Program provided free reading, writing, science, and math classes yearly to primarily Market Women who attended our free literacy classes.

Once the war started to settle IHI. Classes were held in or adjacent to some of the largest markets in the capital city, Monrovia, including Rally-Time Market and Duala Market. We also hold classes at VOA, Clara Town, and other locations throughout the city.

Building women's literacy skills and self-reliance is at the core of Imani House's mission. Educated women are more inclined to work to improve their lives, start or better manage their businesses, prioritize education for their children, and ensure they know the importance of a good education. Educated women are also more vocal and involved in improving their communities. With the election in 2005 of the first women president of an African country, former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, women are more inspired to become educated and realize the importance of education to the country's future.

Liberia's rate of illiteracy slowly declining according to when stability slowly returned to the country, but the rate among women report states that a survey conducted by a Liberian consulting firm in 83 markets where women work showed that approximately 50% of the 204,000 Liberian Market Women serve as heads of households and yet have no formal education. With an average family size of six to eight children and no literacy or civic skills, it is hard to imagine that the children will escape the cycle of poverty. This situation is where Imani House's programs come in to provide tangible educational services. Besides the other obvious positives, they also build our students' esteem as we work diligently to assist them in meeting their personal goals.

Over the years, our volunteer tutors have braved many obstacles, from Ebola to COVID, another kind of war against students' health. The school system shut down again, losing several sites over the years. We are presently in two locations, VOA/Brewerville and Duala Market. But work continues. As Market women struggle in a high-inflation economy, it is difficult to leave the market to come to class when you are the sole breadwinner in the family.

But as a result of the health crisis in the country, we introduce to our literacy classes that follow a similar technique not only to help students learn to read but also affect valuable health education to keep families disease-free by developing good health habits in the home.

Women's Health Education Manual Project

long-time partners Proliteracy and GlobalGiving (U.S. & U.K) assist IHI to create the Health .project. The Ethelyn Doolittle Justice & Outreach Committee has also partnered with us on this project for several years, helping sponsor the project's capacity building.

This initiative is a public health literacy tool that provides general health information clearly and concisely that Liberian communities can understand. It includes information on individual and community sanitary needs, preventing infectious disease spread, basic first aid tips, preventing STDs, and much more. Our agency does outreach to build interest and holds workshops to present the information in the Manual to communities.

As we start a new fiscal year, we hope you can help us break the chain of poverty by supporting our work and spreading the news of our wonderful cause. Thank you.

Links:

• https://www.imanihouse.org/