GlobalGiving.org: Educate Repatriated Refugee Children in Liberia

CAMHS's Students are making a difference in Sport

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:32:53 GMT

The Carolyn A. Miller High school on Friday Dec. 2, 2011 had her second game in the ongoing Paynesville Inter School sport Association (PISSA) in Zuba town, Paynesville. The league which comprises of over 20 schools in and around Paynesville produces over 1,000 fans (students) from various schools.

The tournament comprises of kickball, soccer and quizzing. The kickball game started at 11:30 PM in which CAMHS lost to her opponent.

The soccer match started at 2:45 PM when striker Adonis Mahnwen came scoring in the 15 minutes of the first half and in the second half again Adonis came live with another goal in the 30th minutes of the second half from the right corner of the left extreme which took CAMHS through for the third round of the tournament with four (4)
points after a 1 all draw with the first match. We want to use this opportunity to extend thanks and appreciation to our donors, friends, sponsors and support for their contribution that is play a significant roles in the lives the less fortunate kids of Liberia. Please keep in touch, we will be happy to receive personal emails from
you to inquire from us about this work. We are all shareholders and we all need information about this project. We are in need of sporting equipment as well as other learning materials. We now have the computer lab open and the kids are now learning computer and they are so proud of themselves.

Thank you so much for all of the love and financial support without you we cannot have a school running for these kids. Please be proud of yourself that you can give someone a future.

Morris first day at school

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:39:49 GMT

It is about two weeks since the school year begins and the kids are happy that they are back to school. We want to thank you GlobalGiving and all of our donors for the love and the support they continue to give these kids. We have been working over time to see into it that the school have a successful school year again. Many parts of the building had been leaking and that has been challenging to have thing done since it require a lot of cash but we have been able to do 75% of that but the rain is a big problem for the couple of the class rooms.

There are many new faces that entered but among them is Morris a young man whose father is a blind man. Before the school year begins I received a couple of calls from Morris' father that I never knew but he requested to meet me but I was out of Monrovia. I came back to Monrovia after couple of weeks and I returned John called and I made an appointment for him to meet. We met with John and Morris upon the appointment set and he requested me to help take charge of his son's education since he is blind and he cannot afford to sponsor his child to school. But the interesting thing is that John is a student in another school. I told him that our school was free for returning refugee kids and other vulnerable kids in Liberia so his son was qualified to attend.

Morris is a KG2 student and heis happy to be in school. Morris is a 12 years old young man. His father wants him to acquire education so that he can become someone better in the future to help him as well. We are starting the computer program for the kids for this academic year and it requires a lot of resources since we need to buy a generator and will always have to it fuel.

We want to appreciate all of our loving and wonderful supporters and donors again and which to hear from your comments you are making a difference without you we will not be able to run a free school for these kids.

A child can be sure of a future

Karrus Hayes — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:04:05 GMT

Through the commitment of our friends and donors, we have had a successful school year again and we so appreciative to you with the level of kindness and love you continue to show. Be proud of yourself that you are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of poor kids in Liberia. You are playing a major in the reconstruction process of Liberia after a 14 years civil.

As we are preparing for next academic school year we are again looking up to you for your full support. I want you know that without your kind donation and support we will not be able to free educational project for repatriated refugee kids and the venerable kids of Liberia who have suffered from the trauma of 14 years civil war that killed over 250,000 people. Our own way of rebuilding this part of the world is through the means of education that which you are supporting us to do. We really appreciate you and all of your support; thank you very much with all the financial hardship the world is facing but you are still committed to this cause.

For the 20011/2012 school year, there is so much challenges we have on hand right now that is, we are in of need desk for students. Most of the seats we used during the last school years have really damaged and the school does not have enough seats for the kids for this academic school year. We are in need of 50 pieces of student desks and the price for each desk is $26.00 which sums up to $1300.00. We are also setting up the computer Lab for this school year as you may know that computer is very essential to the world right, therefore the donation of computers we received during the last school year we want to have the kids using them this school year. We have been able to create space for the computer Lab and a space for a library as well but we do not have tables and chairs to place in the computers Lab, shares for the books, tables for reading, chairs for the kids to sit on therefore it is little difficult for us yet.

We do not have generator that will help us with power to run the computer lab. Since the civil upraising in Liberia, it has been difficult to restore electricity therefore more businesses and homes depend on generator to operate.

I want you to have the clear picture of the work we are doing here since you are now shareholders in this project. Please feel free to inquire whatever that is not clear to you and you need to understand. And are also interested your input that is your ideas as much as you are giving your support. Always remember that without your support these kids will not have a future and for true these future fully depend you.

We want to thank all of you and we also want to ask that you please continue to support this project that is making a great impact on the lives of the kids of this part of the world. If we want to make the world a better place for all, we need to build the lives of other who are not in the position of helping themselves and this is what we are all doing together please invite your friends and relatives to be part of this good work you are doing.

End of 2010/2011 school year

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:11:38 GMT

We have come to the end of a successful school year and there has been a lot of progress been made to improvement in the future of the kids at the Carolyn A. Miller School. We want to remain grateful to all of our supporters, donors and friends who are making all of the sacrifices with the resources to support this project. We want say thank you very much and well done and finally the school year has come to an end. We were able to maintain 550 students with the donations you made to support for the refugee kids returning to Liberia and the vulnerable kids of Liberia.

During the school year we sent 25 grade 12th students for the West African Examination for the 2010/2011 school and we are proud to inform you that 18 students made a successful passed and we finally conducted their graduation on Friday June 30th, 2011. Thank you very much for bringing there for us through your kindness, love and support we have had a successful school year. In this light we want to say that we appreciate all of the support and will highly appreciate your suggestion and total involvement as a partner to this project.

In remembrance of all the gifts we have received for this academic school year, on behalf of our students, staff and the entire institution, we want to say thank you very much for supporting our cause by supporting this organization and by investing in the educational need of the vulnerable children of Liberia, Africa. We also received wonderful gifts from other interested people like donations of books and computers and we are so proud of you. In all, we want to be very much grateful to the entire Globalgiving team for the all of the help and support they are giving us by supporting and advertising our project and organizing all of the donations. These kids are enjoying free and quality education because of your tireless efforts. Without your support there can be no free school for the kids. We have set a goal to help support these kids in their struggle for education and a brighter future and with all of the promises we are making we depend on you. We therefore need your help! You are very special because you are making a difference. Without you this project could not exist, therefore you are so exceptional to the future of these kids and to all of us. We are also asking if each of you could commit to a recurring donation this year, which will be highly appreciated.

As much as the financial aspect of this project is very important to us; we also take into consideration your ideas, your participation as well as your total involvement. Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and feel a major part of this noble project so that you can know how your resources have really been managed. We also need you for decision making since you are a shareholder in this project. The survival of this project is 100% dependent on you. Without your donation we will have no means to run a free school for these kids. Thank you again for your support and commitment to this project, Africa, Liberia and the beneficiaries of this project. We highly appreciate you and your love. We think of you as good team players, as you keep us in your loving heart. We want to hear your views and ideas as we build a team and a network with VAAFD and Carolyn A. Miller School.

Amazing Job

Karrus Hayes — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:58:29 GMT

We are pleased to express our thanks and appreciation to all of our donors, friends, support and the entire Globalgiving team for their continual support and contribution to the future of the kids of Liberia. Sunday June 12, 2011 marked another historic event in the lives of the kids and the Carolyn A. Miller family. We were proud to conduct the graduation of the KG class and this was only possible because of people like who have committed yourself donating to this project. Without you we will never be able to run this project successfully. We want to remain grateful to the Globalgiving family and all of our donors, friends and support who have made it possible for these kids to have a wonderful graduation. Your contribution is really making a difference and we want to encourage you to kindly continue the good work you have started.

Our monthly expenses remain at $1700.00 and we are always appreciative for the entire donation made by you. Please remember that you are now shareholders in this project therefore please give your ideas and advice on how we all run this project.

On behalf of Vision Awake Africa For Development and the Carolyn A. Miller school we want to express our thanks and appreciation to all those who have stood with us to support these kids. We stand for the fact it is the right for all kids to go to school. We are happy that we have you as partner and you really understand our reason and purpose.

You have done a lot and you have been very much committed making this project keeps alive without your support and donation we cannot have this project running.

Links:

Vision Awake Africa For Development

Appreciation

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:37:36 GMT

We want to say many thanks the entire Global Giving team for their support. And also want to thank our donors and supporters who have given our project the fullest attention. The Matching Day, March 16, 2011, was really a successful day since people who love us and have the interest in what we are undertaking here committed putting in their resources. We are very proud of you and we want to use this opportunity to extend our heartiest appreciation to you all.

We have only one more month to end the 2010/2011 school year. The 9^th and 12^th graders have completed the West African Examination and as well as the school exam and they are now awaiting graduation while the 9^th graders are waiting to be promoted to senior high level. This semester will end next month (June) will bring the school year to a close. Thank you very much for bringing us to a successful school year.

In remembrance of all the gifts we have received for this academic school year, on behalf of our students, staff and the entire institution, we want to say thank you for supporting our cause by supporting this organization and by investing in the educational need of the vulnerable children of Liberia, Africa.

We also received wonderful gifts from other interested people like donations of books and computers. The students are so proud of those donations.

The enrollment of the school still remains 550 students which includes both returned refugees and war affected kids in the community. These kids are enjoying quality education with the efforts of our tireless volunteers and staff. It is incredible to have you as partners and donors. We have set a goal to help support these kids in their struggle for education and a brighter future. We need your help!

You are very special because you are making a difference. Without you this project could not exist, therefore you are so exceptional to the future of these kids and to all of us. We are also asking if each of you could commit to a recurring donation this year, which will be highly appreciated. As much as the financial aspect of this project is very important to us; we also take into consideration your ideas, your participation as well as your total involvement.

Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and feel a major part of this noble project so that you can know how your resources have really been managed. We also need you for decision making since you are a shareholder in this project. The survival of this project is 100% dependent on you. Without your donation we will have no means to run a free school for these kids.

Our budget still remains $1700.00 per month and we have five more months remaining to end this academic school year 2010 and 2011 to achieve our goals for this school.

Thank you again for your support and commitment to this project, Africa, Liberia and the beneficiaries of this project. We highly appreciate you and your love. We think of you as good team players, as you keep us in your loving heart. We want to hear your views and ideas as we build a team and a network with Vaafd and Carolyn A. Miller School.

School progress

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:47:34 GMT

We continue to appreciate the effort of globgalgiving and all of our potential donors. Thank you very much for all of the love and commitment you have given to this project we are really proud of you. You are making a difference, if just everyone on earth was thinking and acting like you, we could not have all of the troubles that are affecting the people on planet Earth.

The school year is already coming to a close and your donations have made it possible for us to come at this far. Now your donation can give a child a smile and a hope for a better future. The school has finally received the donation of books and computers from Kpazawalla Ballayan Foundation a US based organization made up of some Liberian in California. But it is difficult for the school and kids to use the computers since we do not have generator to provide electricity to the school. Liberia as a nation has been out of electricity since the war in 1990, the entire country use generator as mean the of power source. We are very much grateful for the donated items. These items will really help with learning of the kids. In order for the computers to be used, we need to buy a generator that may cost US $4000.00. That will help for the use of the computers and printer. It has been very costly for us print papers for test and other communicational materials.

The total enrolment of the school still remains at 550 students, and through your love we have been able to register the 12^th, 9^th and 6^th graders to sit for the West African Examination year. This will be the school second time participating in that exam “WAEC”. We are still faced with numerous challenges to make this program a success. I think due to the global financial crisis donation has been very much slow but we are happy that we are still together as a team and shareholders. We right now owed teachers for closed to two month salaries. And it has left with four more months to complete the academic school year successfully. Currently the school operational budget still remains $1700 a month - $1440 goes towards teachers’ salaries, $225 toward rental of the building, and the rest towards food for the free daily meal that the school provides to every student each day. It has been difficult for us to raise the said amount. I want to encourage you to please continue your support through globalgivig to enable our project to be a success. You have done a lot and you have been much committed making this project keeps alive without your support and donation we cannot have this project running.

Your donation gives a child a smile.

Gratitude

Karrus Hayes — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:02:10 GMT

Vaafd had a wonderful and successful year in 2010, thanks to the many GlobalGiving donors for their love, support and care.

We want to use this time of the New Year to appreciate all of the efforts, love and sacrifices our donors have made over the year 2010. In remembrance of all the gifts we have received for the year and on behalf of our students, staffs and the entire institution, we want to say "thank you" for supporting our effort by supporting our organization and investing in the educational need of vulnerable children of Liberia.

Abu Kamara was a refugee in Ghana and also a student at the Carolyn A. Miller school which is the only institution providing free and quality education to all refugees kids in that community. He was repatriated in 2009 to Liberia and he enrolled at Carolyn A. Miller school in Paynesville and he is now benefiting from Vaafd free educational program for repatriated returnee refugees says thanks to all VAAFD Donors and the entire globalgiving team for being a great support to his education.

We now have the total enrollment of 550 students in Liberian include both returned refugees and vulnerable and war affected kids in the community. These kids are enjoying quality education with the efforts of our tireless volunteers and staff. It is incredible to have you as a partners and donors. We have set a goal to help support these kids in their struggle for education and a brighter future. We need your help!

We are so proud of you because you are making a difference. Without you this project could not exist, therefore you are so special to these kids and to all of us. We also want to ask if each of you could commit to a recurring donation this year, which will be highly appreciated. As much as the financial aspect of this project is very important to us; we also take into consideration your ideas, your participation as well as your total involvement. Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and feel a major part of this noble project so that you can know how your resources have really been spent on these kids. We also need you for decision making since you are a shareholder in this project. The survival of this project is 100% depending on you. Without your donation we will have no means to run a free school for these kids.

Our budget still remains $1700.00 per month and we have five more months remaining to end this academic school year 2010 and 2011 to achieve our goals for this school. The good news here is that the 50 donated computers have arrived and a board member from Kpazawala Ballayan Foundation is in Liberia to get it from the port and give it to the school.

Thank you again for your support for the past year, we appreciate you and we love you. We think of you as a team players, as you keep us in your loving heart. We want to hear your views and ideas as we build a team and a network with Vaafd and Carolyn A. Miller School.

December Greetings

Karrus Hayes — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:00:29 GMT

Hello friends,

We wanted to send a quick hello and happy holidays from all of us at the Carolyn A. Miller School in Liberia. We now have a total enrollment of 550 students and 24 teachers and staff. We could not operate our school with out your kind donations given through GlobalGiving. Although, we continue to struggle with prioritizing where much needed funds should be dispersed ie... teacher salaries, repair for equipment and school furniture, supplies, etc... days like October 15th keep our spirits high. On this day, 12 students met the requirement of the Carolyn A. Miller School and Ministry of Education for graduation and passed the West African examination and were granted graduation certificates. We are so proud of all of our students including, Mamuna Kamara, who placed first amongst her classmates.

We are also very grateful to be receiving 50 computers donated from the US this December. Our kids are excited and will benefit greatly from this contribution.

With each month, we grow closer to our fundraising goal and hope you'll continue to support and share our project. In consideration of your holiday shopping, GlobalGiving allows for donations to be given in someone's honor. We think this is a great way to give and give back this season.

Happy Holidays!

Karrus Hayes & the Carolyn A. Miller School

Back to School!

Karrus Hayes — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:05:21 GMT

smiling faces in class

Hello friends,

We have had a successful year of school through the efforts of globalgiving and all of the kind donors and friends of CAMES. There are over 400 students who benefited from the Vision Awake Africa For Development free education program for the 2009/2010 academic school year. This program has made a significant impact on the lives for the returning refugees, the less privileged, and the war effected children in the community.

2009/2010 ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

+ almost $8,000 in teacher's salaries owed for the school year were paid + 13 students sat for the standardized West Africa Examination for 9th-12th grade graduations + 34 students wrote the 9th grade examination and qualified for High School + 32 students wrote the 6th grade examination and qualified for Junior High School

An interview was conducted with a beneficiary student of VAAFD's free educational program in Ghana. Her name is Mimi. She returned to Liberia in 2008 and is now a 10th grade student. According to her, upon her return to Liberia, there were no means for her to return to school. She was able to locate the Carolyn A. Miller School branch in Liberia and today, is looking forward to her promotion to 10th grade and happy to be getting back into school. She said that “My father Mr. Mulbah is in a Wheelchair and has no job to support me to support my education. And, my mother is also not empower to get a job to support my education as well and I have a strong desire for education because when one is educated it makes them independence and you are able to contribute to others who are in need.” “ I want to thank VAAFD and all those who have been touched to support our education even though they don’t know us but they still keep their commitment."

We are very excited for the new year. We have hundreds of refugees, like Mimi, returning to Liberia who were already benefiting from Vision Awake Africa For Development's free educational program in Ghana. Through the presence of our school in Liberia, they now have the hope of acquiring their educational goal.

We want to thank all of our donors and supporters for their continued support, contributions and commitment to this project. We could never be effective without your support and donations. Because of you, we had a successful school year for 2009/2010. You are so important to the future of the less fortunate and war affected children of Liberia and for this we thank you! We consider education the highest gift one can ever give. It gives us independence, resources in our community, country and world that we so deeply need.

We are starting the 2010/2011 academic school year on Monday, September 6th. Our school is lead by selfless teachers who give back to our students each and every day. Help us support our teachers by giving an ongoing monthly donation of $20, $30 or $60 (full month's salary). With enough ongoing donors, we can ensure that our teachers are compensated fully in a timely manner. The wondrous tools globalgiving provides donors allows us to receive your donations on an ongoing monthly basis.

Thank you once again! We hope you will follow us and continue to support our projects. The Carolyn Miller School providing free education and gives less privileged children hope for their future.

Karrus Hayes and the staff/students of The Carolyn A. Miller School in Liberia

A Note from Karrus

Karrus Hayes — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:21:15 GMT

classroom

Dear Friends, Donors and former Volunteers of CAMES,

Greetings from the CAMES family in Liberia. We think it is very important to extend our greetings and appreciation to you all. CAMES has been able to survive over the years because of your kind hearts toward the deprived children of Liberia and the great contribution you have made over the years. In fact, there could be no free school for the kids if you had not shown your love and kindness to them by contributing and even coming to work as well. Right now the only means of CAMES survival in Liberia is a donation that is done through GlobalGiving. To have the school information be hosted on the GlobalGiving website, you made it happen. Your donation to the initial challenge helped VAAFD to win in Liberia.

Unfortunately, it has been hard for the survival of the school in Liberia. We currently owe our wonderful teachers for six months of salaries. The amount allocated per month is $1,440.00. It has been difficult to raise said amount but with all that, our staffs are very much committed to their work. We are in dire need of raising the owed $8,640 and figuring out a way to sustain teacher's salaries in the future.

You can help us in a big way on June 16! GlobalGiving is having a Bonus Day on June 16 at GlobalGiving.org. They are matching at 50% all online donations up to $1,000 per donor per project! In addition to the 50% match, GlobalGiving is offering a $1,000 bonus to the project that raises the most funds that day and a $1,000 bonus to the project that receives donations from the most individual donors!

We ask for your help again to enable us to compensate our teacher's for their past six months of great work. I know we are a good team that never fails. We can make it, we make the difference! If we were successful in the refugee camp, how about Liberia? Please lets work together for the deprived in our society.

I am greatly hoping on you and I know we will make it together.

Kindly visit our link on June 16th and donate in any way that you can! US: www.globalgiving.com/projects/educate-resettled-refugee-children-in-liberia

UK and Europe: www.globalgiving.co.uk/pr/3700/proj3644d.html (donations made on www.globalgiving.co.uk are NOT eligible for matching)

Peace, Karrus

GlobalGiving visit to the Carolyn A. Miller School

Britt Lake — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:57:17 GMT

Teachers outside of the school

Karrus Hayes, the founder of VAAFD met me on the way to visit the Carolyn A. Miller School. He had traveled to Monrovia from where he currently lives, about three hours outside the city. On our taxi ride to the school, Karrus told me a little about his life and his motivation for starting this organization. He told me about how he had escaped Liberia’s war and traveled to Ghana by boat. As he grew up in the Ghanaian refugee camp he noticed children idling and playing games in the street during the hours that school was in session. When he asked them why they weren’t in school they replied that their parents could not afford the school fees that were required. This inspired Karrus to start the first Carolyn A. Miller School for the Liberian refugees in the camp where he lived in Ghana. The school is completely free to students and has been running successfully for several years.

After Karrus returned to Liberia, he noticed the same problem happening in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. Refugees that were returning to Liberia were not able to afford the school fees and many children were not attending classes. He set up another Carolyn A. Miller School in Liberia targeting the growing stream of returnees from Ghana.

This school, also free, currently has about 450 students between the ages for 4 and 29. They teach kindergarten through 12th grade, and about half of their students are former refugees returned from Ghana.

As we approached the school, children of all ages dressed in orange and black streamed down the road. School had just ended and the students were happily heading home. I met with the principal and many of the students and they showed me the classrooms. Broken chairs and tables lay around the room. They are being used, but many of the students must sit on the floor during their lessons. But there is no money for new desks, so the students make due.

Karrus explained that raising funds for the school in Liberia has proven to be a much more difficult task than raising funds in Ghana. In Ghana the school gets visitors from the US and other countries regularly, who provide volunteer support and donations. This is not the case in Liberia, which does not yet attract the type of tourism that Ghana does. GlobalGiving is currently the school in Liberia’s only means of support, but these donations do not always cover the monthly budget it takes to run the school.

Currently the school operates on a budget of about $1700 a month - $1440 goes towards teachers’ salaries, $225 toward rental of the building, and the rest towards food for the free daily meal that the school provides to every student each day. Currently they are several months behind on teachers’ salaries and the teachers are threatening to not give the students their final exam.

The principal is looking for creative ways to make the school sustainable – selling crafts or agricultural production are possibilities they’ve suggested – so that they can continue to provide education free of charge to repatriated Liberians. Until then, they will continue to rely on their GlobalGiving donations. A donor can cover an entire teacher’s salary for only $40 a month. After talking with the teachers and staff, I see the real benefit Karrus and the school are providing to these students, so I am setting up a monthly recurring donation on GlobalGiving to help the school continue their work.

As an added incentive to support this school, on June 16 GlobalGiving is matching all donations up to $1,000 per person at 50%!