Impact Program Updates: Liberia
Projects supported through Youth Action International
EDUCATION
Liberia Programs
Community Women’s Center
This is the first center of its kind in post-war Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. HUB helped support its opening phase, as well as supports the ongoing education and training through its six curriculums: Sewing, Tie-die, Interior Design, Beading, Baking, Cosmetology. The first year of the program supported 75 students involved in a six month education and training. In July 09, this first group of women graduated (62 in all) with a certificate of completion and a grant to start their own business. Though they are given a grant, it is agreed that each woman will pay back a portion of her business income weekly into a POOL that will continue to build and support future classes and groups of women! In addition to their training we are also working with them to create fair-trade products viable to a global market that we can offer for sale in HUB’s online Global Village. We have already purchased hundreds of dollars of products and the sales orders continue to grow.
The 2010 school year will have a class of 300 women!
Becky Primary School
HUB Faculty Member Cynthia Kersey donates completion funds to build Becky Primary
Serving 600 students in Margibi County, this is the largest school project generated by Youth Action International. HUB funding has helped to begin building the foundation of the school, as well as organize the design and planning of the entire project as well as will fund the library and computer learning center. The completion of the build-out of the largest primary school in this county is funded by HUB Faculty Leader, Cynthia Kersey through her Unstoppable Giving Challenge.
Temas Orphanage
Serving 78 children, the Temas Orphanage has received funding from HUB for all of its furnishings. When we first visited them in July of last year, they had no furniture in the main room and study area, as well as no beds or mattresses. Now the orphanage has school chalk board, tables and chairs for study area, couches and chairs for main lounge area and bunk beds with fine mattresses for both the boy’s and the girl’s dorms.
Spryte imitating HUBie Marilyn Powers of the I Am Foundation, during the book gifting of 500 I Am Affirmation books to Elwou Orphanage
School Library Projects
HUB has helped to fund the first of three Libraries through Youth Action International. The Special Project High School in Monrovia (serving 1000 students), The Lakerri Mission Library and Becky Primary School (serving 600 students). The funding of the projects paid for the gathering and delivering of all the books, including complete sets of school text books from algebra to science, encyclopedias, dictionary’s, and fiction and non-fiction titles (many of which were donated to YAI) representing an exceptional cross-section, the shelving, tables and chairs for the libraries, and computers.
Mother Goose Teacher Training and Early Childhood Education
YAI is piloting a program with 65 schools that have received a year long Mother Goose Preschool curriculum, that comes complete with teacher training, and each month packaged as a “program in a bag” that includes directions for projects and many of the supplies! If successful, YAI already has the cooperation and financial backing from the Minister of Education to roll this program out nationwide. HUB is proud to be able to support these exceptional educational projects in partnership with YAI. Through HUB’s consistent and sustainable model, we are able to help make this and other important early to secondary education programs possible.
Project Enabled
Currently supporting 75 disabled war affected youth and adults through education and the global marketplace. HUB last year helped to retrofit a building for the official training and education center. This year we have helped fund two of the first vocational training programs: Sewing and Wood Crafts. We are also supporting this program by working with them to create fair-trade products viable to a global market that we can offer for sale in HUB’s online Global Village.
Sustainable Youth Agricultural Project in Grand Bassa
The first Sustainable Youth Agricultural Program for YAI and HUB
The first environmentally conscious planting, harvesting, exporting of natural plants to Liberia such as cayenne pepper, kasava, cocoa and more, on a pilot lot of 50 acres that has been granted to YAI for youth educational and vocational training in Grand Bassa and the creation of sustainable agricultural projects. HUB has also supported YAI in the launching of a nationwide campaign that will inspire the war affected youth of Liberia to leave the overcrowded, high unemployment capital of Monrovia, and create employment and commerce in the rural communities through sustainable agricultural projects like this. Once successful this sustainable agriculture program will roll out to a total of 4000 acres.
