Partners for the promotion of girls education in Liberia

The war, which started in Liberia in December 1989, resulted to massive destruction of lives and properties. For 14 years, falsity masqueraded with the crown of truth. Law and order was dethroned and rejected while violence and ruthlessness became the order of the day. The consequences of the war as it relates to the youth and girls cannot be overestimated. All learning institutions were damaged and came to a halt for seven years.

The youth of the nation were turned into heartless drugs addicts, programmed to kill and brainwashed to believe in the power of violence as the only means of achieving one’s goal. Some of the young girls who were in grade schools before the war were sexually abused and turned into adolescent mothers who must single-handedly put bread on their children’s tables.

There are also high schools graduates who could not afford the fees require to enter universities because they have lost their sponsors during the civil crisis. The need to provide scholarship opportunities for these people prompted the establishment of PEL ADVOCATES. We believe that training people for livelihood skills does not only help them earn a living for themselves; it also helps them to realize their potentials and gradually restore their dignity. PEL ADVOCATES believes also that by training our people we help to de-traumatize them and transform them into agents of positive change in the society. For this is the only way, our hope for a vibrant and prosperous society can be achieved.

PEL ADVOCATES offers scholarship in the followings: Tie and dye, Sewing, Hairdressing, Typing, Soap making, Welding, and Computer literacy program, high school and undergraduate studies.

The organization originally started in 1998 in Danane, La Cote d’Ivoire, offering scholarships opportunities to Liberian refugees who, because of financial crisis could not continue their education in formal institutes. However, as the war subsided and relative peace gradually began to dawn on Liberia, there was a need to return home to contribute to the post-war reconstruction program, which includes manpower capacity building.

The organization receives two (2) to eight (8) hundred United States dollars per annum from members and friends who are our major donor since the establishment of the organization and friends whose tireless efforts to raise funds and other needed equipments keeps the organization running since its establishment. However, with this small amount of funds Pel Advocates is not able to cater to the needs of these emergent inhabitants and will therefore need help from donors and organization like yours.

There are over 3000 young girls and women living in Goll Farm community and its surroundings within central Liberia. Numerous assessments carried out by PEL ADVOCATES to determine the needs of these young people show a similar pattern with the general needs of all young people in Liberia---especially after 14 years of civil war.

Over 60% of them are single adolescent mothers who must single-handedly put bread on their children’s tables. However, what affects the condition of these young people most is the lack of access to opportunities and resources needed to earn a living. They lack basic skills for livelihood and as a result face enormous socio-economic disadvantages. In addition to this is the tragedy of unfulfilled potentials.

With the benefit of the hindsight, after the 14 years of gruesome and atrocious war in Liberia, it is obvious that these conditions of the young people, if nothing is done about them, can be a breeding ground for violent crimes and possibly the re-occurrence of the horror of the past. Funds are given to the government but do not reach the disadvantaged.

This variability is the highest within communities in Liberia, and displays the need for Girls Learn international, Inc organization to move in and help with structures and have us as implementing partners in Liberia.

It is our ardent prayer that our request that Liberia be given consideration to facilitate Liberian girls desperately in need of education, and the alleviation of poverty and suppression that have existed in the past.