Ebola isn't over yet. After being closed for 7 months, the MTM Academy finally reopened in March, but students are severely behind. In mid-March, a new case of Ebola was confirmed. We know that ALL of our students are safer somewhere they can be monitored with hand-washing stations and access to medical care and psychosocial support.
Ebola shined a spotlight on Liberia's lack of human capacity, manifesting itself as a public health disaster, but with symptoms that have been long present in the lack of education and empowerment of Liberia's people. Liberia won't recover without rapid investments that prepare its youngest generation to confront its challenges head on. The MTM Academy reopened March 2nd, but our students are behind. They've been out of school for 7 months and need added psychosocial support due to Ebola.
Ebola kept our students out of school for 7 months. Getting these girls back in school is the first step in recovering from this disaster. They have a year of academic work to make up. Our suite of auxiliary programs also aids in our students' recovery, giving them 2 meals/day, access to healthcare, and psychosocial support, with special attention to our 30 new students who've been directly affected by Ebola.
Ebola changed us. We know we can and must do more for these children. We can give our students the education they need to protect themselves, empower themselves, and raise up their communities. Our goal is that if Liberia faces another crisis in the future, there will be an educated and resourceful population of critical thinkers and collaborators who can mount an unparalleled defense. It starts with the MTM Academy!
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).
