Gender Equality Liberia Project #11730

From Sexually Exploited to Confident Young Women

by More Than Me

Project Report | Dec 3, 2013
Be a part of this turning point with us.

By Emily Bell | Project Leader

Today - help girls stay off the street.

Greetings!

We are excited to tell you that Population Services International (PSI) offered to teach our students reproductive and sexual health courses free of charge! This news couldn't come at a better time.

We recently found out that two of our girls are pregnant. Similar to what often happens in the US, our pregnant students feel ostracized at school and are starting to skip classes regularly. We are working with their families to figure out the best way forward to ensure that they continue to receive an education both during their pregnancy and afterward.

Without knowing it, these two students have the power to change the trajectory of not just their own lives, but the lives of pregnant teens and young mothers all over Liberia. How? By defying the odds. By staying in school. By becoming advocates for safe sex, gender equality, and their fellow teen mothers. Liberia is ripe for change and MTM's highest hope for our students is that they will be a part of Liberia's positive transformation.

As a matter of fact, Liberia's President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who also happens to be the first female head of state in Africa, got married at 17 and had four children right after high school. After seeing her friends move on to higher education and better jobs, Sirleaf set goals to join them and far outdid herself to get to where she is today.

Right now, you can do something to ensure that these girls have the support network they need to become the next powerful female Liberian leaders. Today, Microsoft is matching donations up to $1000 at 100%. That means that $100 = $200 - from now until matching funds run out! Will you join us in our determination to keep girls off the street and in school? Please help by spreading the word or giving what you can. Thank you for your continued suport - we couldn't do this work without you!

For a better world,

Emily and the More Than Me Team

President Sirleaf listens at MTM Academy opening

President Sirleaf speaking to our girls!

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Sep 3, 2013
More Than Me Academy to Offer Couseling for Girls

By Emily Bell | Project Leader

Jun 6, 2013
Beatrice's Story

By Katie Meyler | Founder, CEO

Meet Beatrice. She's very playful and shy, and doesn’t smile a lot.

Beatrice lives with her biological parents. Her family's income is approximately $20/US/month and they pay $10/month for rent. She has two sisters and a brother. They are no longer in school due to financial problems. Her oldest sister has three children. She’s 17. They all live together and sleep in the same room – one bed with a little mattress.

Our Program Coordinator, Macintosh, met Beatrice when she was on the beach. He asked her if she’d been in school before. She said she used to be in school, but she dropped out because her father couldn’t pay the school fees anymore because he was spending all his money on alcohol. Beatrice and her siblings were sitting at home doing nothing. She told Macintosh that her oldest sister started disappearing during the day and coming back at night, but they didn’t know where she went. After she got pregnant the first time, she stopped leaving the house and started staying at home.

After hearing her story, Macintosh decided to visit Beatrice's home. He met her mom and dad and decided to befriend the family. One he got to know them, Macintosh made a recommendation to Katie to enroll Beatrice in the More Than Me program.

Because of the pattern of her sister’s life and her family’s inability to support her to go to school, Macintosh decided that Beatrice was vulnerable to a similar lifestyle as the one her sister led and wanted to enroll her in the More Than Me program to prevent her from ending up like her sister.

Now Beatrice is enrolled in school and will start school at the new More Than Me Academy when it opens its doors on September 7, 2013! Over 50% of Liberian girls ages 10-14 have never gone to school. With the More Than Me Academy, we are hoping to change this statistic and open the door to opportunity for girls like Beatrice.

We ask you to partner with us in preparing for the Academy's opening by donating on Match Day - Wednesday, June 12th. On that day, your donation will be matched by 50% and will go toward giving these girls the ability to make choices for themselves. Thank you for your continued support! We look forward to updating you again soon.

- The More Than Me Team

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