By Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr | Executive Director
EBOLA IN LIBERIA
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) furiously threatened the very existence of Liberians. It crippled our already weakened health structures, policies, and practices. It claimed the lives of thousands of our mothers and children. And it took away our regular, every-day way of life – case in point is the one clear distinction we have as Liberians - hand-contact greetings. Over the past months, the virus curiously stigmatized the nature of our society; our way of life. Nevertheless, we have persevered and we continue to work with community based organizations to help eradicate the virus out of Liberia.
EDUCATION AFTER THE EVD FIGHT
On the last rung of this pyramid of suffering are our young girls and women. Schools were closed in the midst of the health crisis brought on by the EBOLA Virus Disease and their very survival was on the line. As health workers and the international community arrived with major support, local and rural communities were already at the mercy of the virus. Thanks to you our Globalgiving Partners, and other international, regional and national actors, including local and rural health care workers and women and young girls serving as community volunteers, we have turned a page on Ebola in Liberia.
The reduction of Ebola cases in Liberia has been followed by the reopening of schools. This development, while worth celebrating, necessitates the need to continue to push the message of non-complacency about the virus, and fight post-Ebola struggles of ordinary families living in marginalized communities. Schools are now reopening across the country. The economic hardship created by the Ebola Virus further pushed poor families to reconsider education, NOT as a priority for their children - the primary challenges being: the very high cost of living, tuition, transportation, school supplies and uniforms, etc. And this is a fair argument for an underpriveledged mother with three girls to feed and take care off. We say it is unfair to assume nothing can be done about this on the part of civil society and international partners, and, with your support, we continue to take action to help where we can.
1st POST-EBOLA BWT
GPFA conducted its first post-EBOLA ‘Breakfast Walk ‘N Talk’ (BWT) in commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 7th, 2015. BWTers donned special colors for the day as we fired up our very own Stop Rape Campaign in honor of Rape Victims. Under the theme, ‘554 Cases! Enough! Stop It!’ the Foundation brought together human rights and civil society groups, women-led organizations, youth activists, lawyers, leaders in governmental circles, students, community-based organizations, and well-wishers. The participants all agreed that it was past time to end the silence and help transform the culture of rape that has become prevalent in Liberia, especially looking at the 2014 statistics of 554 total number of Rape Cases in the country, with 428 being the total number in Montserrado County alone; Montserrado being where the capital sits – the political capital of Liberia’s National Government. The scarier statistic is that 512 of this total number, signifies Rape Crimes perpetrated against children 0-17 years old (http://allafrica.com/stories/201501231792.html). BWTers came either in their BWT tees or came rocking these colors for the following reasons: Baby Pink & Baby Blue - as a show of support for the countless, helpless little girls and little boys that have been abused; RED - for the real danger in Rape situations which at times ends in death; WHITE - to symbolize the hope we carry in our hearts that one day - AND ONE DAY SOON – we shall be able to say we made history and helped bring pervasive behaviors to the light and put perpetrators to shame! This was the first BWT ever since our last one in July of 2014, due to the overwhelming unsafety of the EVD crisis. It was a success and our young scholars used this occasion to participate in issues affecting them as they prepared to return to the classrooms.
POST-EBOLA EDUCATION
Over the last two months, with support from you our donors, GPFA began footing the education needs of young girls across the country. Ebola is on the run and the need for education, especially for young girls in post-Ebola Liberia has never been more relevant. With the complete breakdown of most infrastructures, GPFA is very cncerned about being able to help get girs back in school and alleviate the additional stress from the shoulders of the families whose lives we will be able to touch. The Foundation continues to offer holistic scholarships ithat cover tuition, uniform, transportation, and other school-related cost for high schoolers and university students.
APPRECIATION
All the wonderful progress and issues GPFA continue to champion on behalf of the girls, women and youths in local communities would not be possible without the generous support of our many sympathizers and donors like you all in our Globalgiving network. We want to express our heartfelt appreciation of your humanity that stretches across international borders. We say than you - for standing with us as we stand for girls’ rights to be educated, for community development, for social justice.
On behalf of our girls whom you continue to cater to and educate, girls whom you may never meet in person but still graciously owe their educational stability in a troubled society to you, we say thank you. We would also like to know what you think. Are there other prevalent issues that you would like to see us continue to address in post-Ebola Liberia? As a global civil society, we would welcome any suggestions you may have that could assist and protect, the needs of young girls and women.
By Williametta Saydee-Tarr | Executive Director
By W.E Saydee-Tarr | Executive Director
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