Education for Children
The importance of education cannot be overestimated, as it is the key to a bright and successful future. At the Ri’ayah Foundation, it is our firm belief that all children deserve a chance to get a quality education, as it is the best way for them to realize their true potential. Our focus is to provide children with the opportunity to learn and develop, so they can grow up to be an integral and healthy part of their communities.

Liberia’s Schools Are in Disrepair
The majority of Liberian schools were damaged beyond usability during the 14 years of civil wars that ended in 2003. The government does not have the funds or the manpower to rebuild them. The few available state schools are located mainly in Monrovia, and lack the qualified teachers, money and facilities to be effective.* Buildings lack amenities such as safe drinking water, latrines and suitable chairs. Many schools are seriously overcrowded, and in many cases students have to sit in the floor.

An Education Wake-Up Call
Of the schools that are open, many do not have qualified staff. According to “Liberia Education Crisis: A 3-Part Series Reveals Schools in Chaos” (http://www.newnarratives.org/stories/mae-azango/liberias-rural-education-crisis-a-3-part-series-reveals-neglect-low-standards-leave-schools-in-chaos/), many people who stepped in to try to keep the schools going were/are not qualified teacher. In her article on the “Liberia Education Crisis” mentioned above, Mae Azongo states, “Liberia’s schools have 20,000 untrained teachers without a bachelor’s degree or associate degree from a teacher training institution.” Many teachers are unpaid volunteers. Though trying their best to help the country through an educational crisis, the results speak for themselves: a huge wake-up call in 2013, when every one of almost 25,000 applicants to the University of Liberia failed the entrance exams (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/25-000-applicants-failed-liberian-college-entrance-exam-article-1.1440729).

The Numbers Speak for Themselves
In the year 2000, Liberian adults had an average of 2.5 years of schooling. The 2017 literacy rate for adults ages 15-24, who are able to write and read a simple complete sentence about themselves, was 49%. Sixty-two percent of primary-school-age children are currently not in school, and this percentage increases dramatically in secondary school.*** Of the 48% of Liberian children who are in school in primary grades, 65% of boys and 73% of girls drop out by grade 5. And the net enrollment for secondary school is only 34%.

Something Must Be Done to Fix the Education System
Education Is Important for Many Reasons
We are currently focusing on the poorest communities in Liberia, where the state of affairs worsens daily. The need to provide the Liberian people with basic amnesties of life, such as food, clean water, shelter and education is our topmost priority. But no matter how hard we work, there is nothing that can change the lives of the people more than quality education.
Education is the key to a healthy development of the people. Providing this to the children will ensure their future generations will have the opportunity to look towards a brighter future. In order to achieve this goal, we at the Ri’ayah Foundation are seeking your donations, which are urgently needed to help us accomplish this worthy goal.

Quality Teachers
Our aim is to train teachers who can go into these areas in Liberia and work with the parents and guardians of the children to encourage them to pursue an education—qualified teachers, who can teach not only grade school, but high school subjects to prepare students to pass college and trade school entrance exams, enabling them to pursue career goals such as nursing and journalism, mechanic and agriculturist. With proper nutrition and healthcare provided side by side, we will build a community that is safe for learning and is motivated to strive towards a successful future.

You Can Help
At the Ri’ayah foundation, our goal is to provide children with educational tools and opportunities that inspire them to become independent thinkers and future leaders. Education is their key to building a better tomorrow. Your donations will help them to open the door to a brighter future.
Why not help a child unlock the door to a better future today?

*Source: https://www.classbase.com/countries/liberia/education-system
**Source: https://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/news/3684-more-than-half-of-liberia-s- primary- school-teachers-unqualified-gac, accessed 1-19-18.
***Source: UN_UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ****Source: http://www.liberiaeducation.info/profile, accessed 1-15-18.