Young women who want to attend secondary school in Liberia face some serious obstacles -- a bloody civil war that devastated the infrastructure, parents whose annual income ($545 USD according to the World Bank) must be supplemented by sending daughters to work, and recently the Ebola epidemic that closed schools for eight months. The 15 girls we sponsor are tenacious in their desire to attend school and create a better future for themselves. Five of our girls will graduate this year!
Girls in Liberia face three distinct problems when trying to get an education: parents who often cannot afford to have their daughters in school because of additional expenses and lost income the girls could provide; a civil war that devastated the country's infrastructure; and most recently the Ebola epidemic that shuttered schools for eight months. We sponsor fifteen young women whose educational aspirations will help lift them, their families, and ultimately their country out of poverty.
This project will pay for tuition, school supplies, and uniforms for fifteen girls in Liberia for one school year. Girls also receive tutoring if necessary and our in-country community leaders work with GEI-sponsored girls' parents to help keep girls in their classes until graduation from secondary school.
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 will give 15 Liberian young women 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.
