Somehow, I forgot how wet rainy season in West Africa can be. Despite knowing that it would be rainy season when I was here - I romanticized that this would mean cooler breezes instead of coming to the realization that this would also mean constant dampness and deafening, pounding rain on corrugate roofs. And now I remember, it is both. The rains have come in full force, on my fifth day in Liberia and it doesn't look like they are leaving anytime soon. Despite this, things go on semi-normally - I had a rather quiet weekend doing some work (there are not tons of entertainment options here, so most expats seem to be workaholics) but also went out for drinks and dinner with some new friends.
Right now I am working on trying to wrap my head around the literature on best practices and lessons learned for implementing effective, sustainable, non-formal education programs for girls, both to transfer life skills and also as means of providing support systems to prevent drop out. Liberia has a very high drop out rate - kids are excited to get back into school after so many years of limited or complete lack of education due to the war but conditions still remain difficult and over 75% of Liberians live in extreme poverty. Schools around the country are flooded with students and primary grades are the most packed - the majority of countries, even post-conflict countries like Liberia, have proven successful and raising enrollment rates. The deeper and more persistent problems is keeping kids in school till the completion of primary school (completion of secondary school is a lofty goal for most) and make sure they participate and perform so that they are able to truly learn. The sharp increase in student enrollment here also means classrooms that serve very diverse age ranges as kids try to catch up on what they have missed - this means a grade one classroom with children ages 8-17 years old. Add to this overcrowding, teachers with limited or no formal training, shortage of books and learning materials, and curriculum and textbooks that are outdated and ineffective and you get a pretty dire picture. Another added layer is the cost of attending school - schools fees, uniforms, books and the lost labor or wages that children can bring in are all factors that families must weigh when deciding to keep their children in school or not. Reality (and also gender discrimination) forces many girls to drop out by grade three (we are trying to figure out exactly what age has to do with this but common sense seems to point to older girls being most vulnerable). A grade three education in a low quality school as the highest education attainment is a frustrating reality for most girls (and a lot of boys) around the country and offers little to no improvement in their daily lives or future prospects.
There are lots of NGOs - both international and local - that are trying to improve the interrelated and compounding social pressures that make attaining a quality education so difficult in Liberia. Scholarships are one option or community small grants are another, but perhaps not the solution - it is likely that other supplementary efforts are needed to support girls social and emotional development in addition to their academic development.
Right now I am working on trying to wrap my head around the literature on best practices and lessons learned for implementing effective, sustainable, non-formal education programs for girls, both to transfer life skills and also as means of providing support systems to prevent drop out. Liberia has a very high drop out rate - kids are excited to get back into school after so many years of limited or complete lack of education due to the war but conditions still remain difficult and over 75% of Liberians live in extreme poverty. Schools around the country are flooded with students and primary grades are the most packed - the majority of countries, even post-conflict countries like Liberia, have proven successful and raising enrollment rates. The deeper and more persistent problems is keeping kids in school till the completion of primary school (completion of secondary school is a lofty goal for most) and make sure they participate and perform so that they are able to truly learn. The sharp increase in student enrollment here also means classrooms that serve very diverse age ranges as kids try to catch up on what they have missed - this means a grade one classroom with children ages 8-17 years old. Add to this overcrowding, teachers with limited or no formal training, shortage of books and learning materials, and curriculum and textbooks that are outdated and ineffective and you get a pretty dire picture. Another added layer is the cost of attending school - schools fees, uniforms, books and the lost labor or wages that children can bring in are all factors that families must weigh when deciding to keep their children in school or not. Reality (and also gender discrimination) forces many girls to drop out by grade three (we are trying to figure out exactly what age has to do with this but common sense seems to point to older girls being most vulnerable). A grade three education in a low quality school as the highest education attainment is a frustrating reality for most girls (and a lot of boys) around the country and offers little to no improvement in their daily lives or future prospects.
There are lots of NGOs - both international and local - that are trying to improve the interrelated and compounding social pressures that make attaining a quality education so difficult in Liberia. Scholarships are one option or community small grants are another, but perhaps not the solution - it is likely that other supplementary efforts are needed to support girls social and emotional development in addition to their academic development.
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