SHIFSD Liberia
Nursery/KG School Construction for Vulnerable Children Project
Background & Introduction:
Liberia is a small country situated on the West Coast of Africa with a population of approximately 5 million people. The National Census of 2008 indicates that more than 60% of the population is very young. Most of Liberia’s youth have little or no formal education.
With specific reference to the Joe Town/Lee Hill Community in which SHIFSD is based, the situation concerning young people & children isn’t unique. The target community, Joe Town also known as Lee Hill, has 1,998 vulnerable children of lower primary school age. There’s no public or government school in the Joe Town/Lee Hill community; the only government school nearby is situated on the ‘Johnsonville Turning Point’ which is a walking distance of about 45 minutes from Joe Town. The public school is extremely overwhelmed in terms of student population.
A 2018 baseline survey conducted by the community leadership, indicates that the Lee Hill/Joe Town community comprises 999 households and an average household size of 7 inhabitants. Many of the single headed households in the community find it very difficult if not near impossible to send their children under 8 years of age to school. The security risks of children (especially girls) walking long distances to school plus the high motorbike fares to reach the nearby public school is also a big challenge. On average, there are 2 most vulnerable school age children per household in Joe Town while with a rapidly growing community population above 6,993 since the last survey was completed in 2018. At the moment, said population has only three properly functioning hand pumps to serve them with safe drinking water; one of which is at the SHIFSD Center.
The Self-Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFSD) was established in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa by a group of Liberian Refugees on November 11, 2000.
Following years of serving refugees at the Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Ghana, the institution finally moved to Liberia in August of 2008. SHIFSD was duly registered in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa with the government on May 30, 2005.
Presently, the organization is headquartered at the SHIFSD Center located in Joe Town, lower Johnsonville, Montserrado County.
SHIFSD envisions a just society, free of illiteracy and poverty. Its mission is to reduce abject poverty through access to integrated education, demand driven vocational skills training, and entrepreneurship.
Currently, SHIFSD is working on livelihood of activities in five counties in Liberia; namely Montserrado, Margibi, Bomi, Gbapolu and Grand Cape Mount in partnership with a Dutch NGO called ZOA Refugee Care-Liberia.
In an attempt to help mitigate, to some extent, the enormous Child Right to Education problem faced by the Joe Town/Lee Hill community, the decision to undertake the Nursery/KG School for Vulnerable Children Project was faithfully reached by the Board & Management of SHIFSD.
Hence, this narrative progress report is intended to give LY2NK Foundation and other readers of this report an overview of the project objective; planned activities, expected outcomes; activities carried out, and challenges amongst others. SHIFSD wants to particularly give specific explanation on how the LY2NK Foundation grant was used towards the ongoing nursery / kindergarten school building project at the SHIFSD Center.
Project Objective:
The Nursery / Kindergarten School Construction for Vulnerable Children Project is intended to provide quality and affordable primary education, with special focus on Nursery & Kindergarten (KG) levels, to the most vulnerable children between the ages of 3 – 7 years in Joe Town/Lee Hill Community, Johnsonville, Montserrado County.
Project Objective:
The Nursery / Kindergarten School Construction for Vulnerable Children Project is intended to provide quality and affordable primary education, with special focus on Nursery & Kindergarten (KG) levels, to the most vulnerable children between the ages of 3 – 7 years in Joe Town/Lee Hill Community, Johnsonville, Montserrado County.
Progress:
Progress:
Challenges:
Key amongst challenges identified is inadequate project funding. With the exception of the highly appreciated LY2NK Foundation’s grant contribution (US$8,565), and that of SHIFSD’s financial contribution (US$7,840) as well as in-kind contribution, no other funding for the project under review is available at this time for the construction of the school building in a timely manner to full completion.
There’s a lot more construction related work needed to be done (as can be seen in the aforementioned list of planned activities) to have the brand new nursery and kindergarten school building completed and operational as we strive to address the educational plight of vulnerable children in Joe Town, semi-urban Montserrado County.
In order to address the inadequate funding challenge, SHIFSD will make in-kind a contribution in the tune of four thousand four hundred seventy dollars (US$4,470) towards the completion of the ongoing nursery / kindergarten construction project at the SHIFSD Center in Joe Town, lower Johnsonville.
Challenges:
Key amongst challenges identified is inadequate project funding. With the exception of the highly appreciated LY2NK Foundation’s grant contribution (US$8,565), and that of SHIFSD’s financial contribution (US$7,840) as well as in-kind contribution, no other funding for the project under review is available at this time for the construction of the school building in a timely manner to full completion.
There’s a lot more construction related work needed to be done (as can be seen in the aforementioned list of planned activities) to have the brand new nursery and kindergarten school building completed and operational as we strive to address the educational plight of vulnerable children in Joe Town, semi-urban Montserrado County.
In order to address the inadequate funding challenge, SHIFSD will make in-kind a contribution in the tune of four thousand four hundred seventy dollars (US$4,470) towards the completion of the ongoing nursery / kindergarten construction project at the SHIFSD Center in Joe Town, lower Johnsonville.
Conclusion:
In summary, the ongoing nursery / kindergarten school construction for vulnerable children project is intended to address the plight of disadvantaged, out of school children in the Joe Town/Lee Hill Community located in the lower part of the township of Johnsonville, Greater Monrovia following repeated appeals from residents of said community to SHIFSD.
Our experience has shown that many children are staying with grandparents, extended family members, and persons other than their biological parents. It is shocking to note that this community of well over 1,998 children has no such early learning facility for children whose parents or guardians are poverty stricken to the core. The nearest public school is 45 minutes away; over jammed with students despite having both morning and afternoon sessions in operation.
The aforementioned school construction project is approximately 50% completed, including roofing of the building; thanks to LY2NK Foundation for its timely intervention, having funded the project thus far.
SHIFSD’s major challenge now has to do with the raising of funds to close the remaining funding gap necessary for accomplishing its stated objective for the ongoing school construction project.
** Here are photos of three vulnerable kids collected to help explain the pitiful condition of children & education in the Lee Hill/Joe Town Community:
From right to left, they are Joseph Murphy, he’s age 12 and in 3rd grade; his sister, Lowena Reeves is age 9 and hasn’t started school yet; and lastly Joseph’s friend Emmanuel Boimah, age 10. Boimah is in Kindergarten.
Conclusion:
In summary, the ongoing nursery / kindergarten school construction for vulnerable children project is intended to address the plight of disadvantaged, out of school children in the Joe Town/Lee Hill Community located in the lower part of the township of Johnsonville, Greater Monrovia following repeated appeals from residents of said community to SHIFSD.
Our experience has shown that many children are staying with grandparents, extended family members, and persons other than their biological parents. It is shocking to note that this community of well over 1,998 children has no such early learning facility for children whose parents or guardians are poverty stricken to the core. The nearest public school is 45 minutes away; over jammed with students despite having both morning and afternoon sessions in operation.
The aforementioned school construction project is approximately 50% completed, including roofing of the building; thanks to LY2NK Foundation for its timely intervention, having funded the project thus far.
SHIFSD’s major challenge now has to do with the raising of funds to close the remaining funding gap necessary for accomplishing its stated objective for the ongoing school construction project.
** Here are photos of three vulnerable kids collected to help explain the pitiful condition of children & education in the Lee Hill/Joe Town Community:
From right to left, they are Joseph Murphy, he’s age 12 and in 3rd grade; his sister, Lowena Reeves is age 9 and hasn’t started school yet; and lastly Joseph’s friend Emmanuel Boimah, age 10. Boimah is in Kindergarten.
