Support Liberian Adult Education

Welcome to our “Support Liberian Education” fundraiser update.  While regrettable that this fundraiser has yielded nominal support, we at Imani House Inc. are happy to report that we have managed to sustain this vital work aimed at building literacy and numeracy skills among marginalized Liberian petty market traders. 

Partnering with community stakeholders and residents to provide a facility, we offer evening adult literacy classes in two communities.  Petty marketers contributes to Liberia’s economy but are the segment of the population with the least education. They have been trading since they were very young (7-10 yrs of age) and have had little time to dream of aspiring for opportunities that will move their household income from subsistence to profit making.   Our literacy program has provided a pathway to move families out of generational poverty since the 1990’s.  Access to education at any age is a universal right and while many nations are seeking ways to meet that challenge, Liberia continues to lag behind. The literacy rate for the adult male population is 62.42 percent and the female population is 32.82 percent. While our project serves anyone in need of assistance, it primarily focuses on educating Liberian women and girls who have a higher illiteracy rate than their male counterparts.

Our literacy classes are located near market venues in two communities.  One of our priorities is to provide access to literacy and numeracy classes to build the skill set of resilient, in market women and men who, in spite of the odds against them, seek to provide a livelihood for their families.  Over the decades, our interventions have enabled many adults to move their families from a state of subsistence to profit making; thus providing a pathway for moving families out of generational poverty.

Imani House Inc. also operates an affordable healthcare clinic for 30+ years.  For seventy percent of struggling Liberian families living below the poverty level (earning less than 900 USD annually), provision of a daily meal and a stable living environment supersedes prioritizing education and healthcare.  Imani House Inc is filling in the gap through its by offering affordable healthcare and free adult literacy classes. During the period of January to May 2024, we provided affordable healthcare to 1,692 persons (1,164 adults and 528 children) and our current 2023/24 adult literacy program has 57 persons (35 females and 22 males). The current school year will close in mid-July and we carry out our annual promotion and graduation activities. 

We warmly invite you to partner with us in providing our literacy classes.  Imani House must raise $4,000.00USD  annually to cover our teachers’ salaries, purchase supplies, provide electricity in the classrooms, cover costs for ongoing teacher training, etc. We invite you to support us and/or share our work with your networks.

For more information about IMANI HOUSE, please visit our Web site: IMANI HOUSE, INC. – Building Community Through Education, Information, Health, and Service.

Thank you for your support! 

Welcome, welcome, come on in. This report is our first opportunity to give an update on our Adult Educational Project for 2024. With your support and God's grace, we are off and running in this new year after several interruptions since the start of the project year in September. The 2023-24  school year was interrupted by the presidential elections after classes started in September. This interruption was the first postponement of courses in  October. Again, during the presidential runoff that took place in November. Our class didn't resume until mid-January after the country's new President was inaugurated. Learning to read and write is difficult without interruption, but our adult students face many other hardships. (poverty, rising inflation, and the need to tend their markets). Once our free classes started, students struggled to make their daily bread through the various markets they visited throughout the week.

  On a typical day, students arrive at 6 p.m. to start their class. But sometimes, no students can be seen until almost 7 p.m. During a recent visit by Mr. James, the Literacy Coordinator, the late arrival of students was evident.  

Students started trickling after 7 pm, and classes began at 7:15 pm. The sound of the generator,   the school's only source of electricity, today does not sound good. The Literacy  Coordinator brought a mechanic to service the generator at the end of Jan 2024. The sound from the generator is calling for servicing gain. By 8:21 pm, the gas in the generator ran out during class, and we ended up once again. Classes continue to go on under lights from mobile phones. To work without electricity is a Success story in itself!

The coordinator spoke with students about their lateness. Many of them told me they are single parents. It's hard for mothers to juggle caring for their children, selling in the market, and getting to classes on time. Another student said she usually sells around (walks up and down) and sometimes forgets class time.

Getting to class soon was explained to the students so they could understand and see reasons to adjust their businesses and come to school on time. They have 2.5 hrs each class day. They all promised to do better, as did the other learners. (See photos of students under electricity and pictures of students under the phone lights.) The generator will be serviced, and an allotment of gas will be provided by the start of next week.

The last part of the update deals with IMANI HOUSE staff participation in two-day trainings set up by INTERWEAVE SOLUTI NS. Imani House sent six (6)  participants. Representatives from the IMANI HOUSE clinic, the literacy program, and the administrative office attended both days of the workshops.

Introduction
The Interweave Training workshop took place at a local university in Central Monrovia, and the workshops ran from February 7 to 8. The purpose was to train trainers.

Dr. Lynn Curtis from INTERWEAVE facilitated the workshop. The doctor covered two distinct and vital topics.

1. Success In Business (Master of Business In The Street  and
2. Counseling In The Streets (Wellness and healing). Over thirty (30) participants were trained to train street sellers and do mental health counseling.

Day 1 Topic  Success In Business; English In Business Success  Under the topic, we cove ed the 6's of Business, which include:

•        1. Plan   steps needed to make your Business succeed
•        2. Product – it m or service you sell
•        3. Paperwork – your in  me, expenses, etc
•        4. Promotion – how you sell your product or service
•        5. Price – what you charge for your  product or ser ice
•        6. Process. - how you create your produce and get it to customers

Others Points Include:
We make business Plans, Home Quality of Life Plans, Community involvement Plans,
Money management plan, Income and Expenses log, Income Statement and Business Budget
Every participant received the opportunity to present to the group. They learned the legal requirements. The group also knew how to decide when to make your Business legal and commit your Business.

Day – Two Topic: Counseling In The Streets (Wellness and Healing)
Under this topic, counseling skills (your tools- how you feel, how you listen, and how you speak
to people) were acquired.
Also, another significant skill was Overcoming Barriers to Wellness – How to deal with:

•       Depression
•       Anxiety
•       Family Relationship
•       Loneliness       
•       Grief and loss
•       Anger and Trauma

Also, Wellness in the community, Responding to crisis and substance abuse.
Divided into sessions, with assigned tasks and group presentations. Following the various
Presentations, participants were given the opportunity for remarks  which were followed by
Presentation of certificates.
At the end of the training, some participants received 1- 2 certificates in Master of Business in
Street and others received 1 – 3 certificates in Master of Business In the Streets and Mental.
Counseling. Interweave Solution awarded each of Imani House's participants three certificates each.

 
At the end of the training, the facilitator asked each participant to commit to training a specific number of business people. Imani House is dedicated to training at least 50 street sellers.

Mental health counseling will be used in our clinic, and each participant must train their colleagues.

I conclude our report for this quarter. Thank you for reading the latest developments at IMANI HOUSE. I look forward to meeting you in the next report!

  Thank you for being there for our Students and our tutors!

Links:

• IMANI HOUSE Liberia's Programs