Adult and Family Literacy in Liberia 2023

The Family Literacy Initiative is a HIPPY early childhood education home based program. Parents take responsibility for their children's learning outcomes through regular home visits, early school readiness and positive simulation and interactions. The program completed its eighth year, empowering parents to become their children first teachers. A special thank you to the non profit organization, Comic Relief, for its support in funding the Family Literacy Initiative' HIPPY programs year 9 and 10. 

Below is detailed information for year 8 (2023):

• Year 8 started with 273 families and 276 children in five communities 
• The year ended with 258 families and 261 children in five communities, 15 families dropped.
• Out of 261 children 120 are currently in school and 99 children are out of school
• 55 children participating as year 3 children graduated from the program
• Out of the 55 children that graduated in 2023, 42 children are in formal school while 13 are out of school.
• The home visiting program is working with 2 coordinators, 6 supervisors and 25 home visitors in 5 communities, 5 political districts and in 2 counties.

FLI/HIPPY program goals & objectives 

• The overall objective of Family Literacy Initiative is to prepare parents to become their children's first teacher, by giving them the tools, skills and confidence.
• Prepared children for school readiness and success in school and later in life
• Improve parent and child interaction and increase parents literacy skills and self-confidence. 
• Promotes early literacy concepts and skills, which enable children, enroll in school at the appropriate age.
• Empower parents with basic knowledge to understand the importance of early learning and education. 

Location 

Family Literacy Initiative program operated in 5 communities, 5 political districts and 2 counties:

Duazon  - District 1     Margibi County

Caldwell - District 11   Montserrado County

WestPoint - District 7     Montserrado County

Neezoe  - District 3     Montserrado County

Nyemah Town - District 1     Montserrado County 

Successes

• Digitized program 10 weekly curriculum assessment tool
• Established FLICAP (Family Literacy Initiative Community Associations of Parents) that will visit and in communities and schools PTA meetings
• Recreating a pattern (Children outreach awareness program, children speak-out)
• Home visitors participated in a three day experience sharing training during HIPPY International trainer visit to Liberia. (Wiza Visits) 
• Completed Early Childhood Education Skills-based Training Education Program (ECDSTEP) 15 days training for Home Visitors 
• (Good Family Retention) Less number of family dropped then previous years
• Increase enrollment of FLI children in school 
• 15 minutes teaching with parent and child before regular role play activities
• Year 1 children (3yrs. Old) have improve in writing skill due to the writing corner
• Implement and completed all activities for year eight -2023 program circle in time
• Established two ECD centers in Nyemah town 
• Trained the first 24 home visitors in Early Childhood Development Skill-Based Training and Education program
• Reach out to 25% of FLI families who were abused, suffer from domestic violence, sick, bereave, out of school, give birth and have some form of disabilities.
• Encourage 15% of FLI families/parents to work or find a job (proving information on job opportunity) to sustain their livelihood.
•  FLI team provided with uniform easy identification of staff in the field

New Approaches 

• Operation Target Fathers ( getting father involved )
• Open House Recruitment & Group meeting 
• Continuation of using Digitalized FLI ten weekly curriculum assessment tool
• Enforcing and creating more activities for FLICAP (Family Literacy initiative community Associations of parents) visit and participates in community meetings and school PTA meetings
• Awareness of early learning and age-appropriate enrollment done by FLI children (FLI children outreach awareness program, children speak-out) 
•  Exchange of home visitors during group meeting and stakeholders meetings
• Continue parents role play/demonstration of skills and concepts by parents and child during group meeting  
• Continue writing corner 
• Continue the 15 minute teaching before regular role play activities 
• Continue visitation and families engagement  
• Developing children fine motor skills & writing readiness 

Communities/families & parents reactions

• Parents awareness in skills and curriculum development 
• parents will be able to role play activities before others
• Build parents confidence 
• Build parents and child relationship
• Motivate other parents to participate and put in more time with children
• Parents taking ownership during group meeting and closing program
• Following up on students learning process while in formal school  
• Parents/community leaders participating in every FLI activities during the year of implementation
• Attending group meeting and giving positive feedback and suggestion for smooth program implementation
• Attending all stakeholders meeting/Students PTA meeting and give contribution to the children learning outcome

Challenges & Solution 

• Retaining Families; Parents moving out of the community

• Solution: Work with parents in relocated areas that were closer to the targeted community or replaced family.

• Difficulties in getting 45% of  community leaders involvement 

• Solution : We engaged  the community leaders by creating a Task Force

• Less number of children starting school after graduating from the FLI program

• Solution: Encouraged the parents to take initiative of their children’s  Learning, by sending them to the public school 

• Working with parent & child with disability 

• Solution: identify with these families in a different way, their teaching methods are special & different, this family teaching rate is a bit slower than the regular. 

Lessons learned 

• FLI outreach activities should  be schedule during the dry season 
• The idea of promoting literacy is not only about reading & writing as parents or children, but the sense of being aware and knowledgeable of what is happening around you, making sound and responsible decisions that affect positive achievement.

• AtAGlance_Family_Literacy_Initiative_HIPPY_March2024.pdf (PDF)