HELP LIBERIA FOUNDATION

Information about Liberia

Liberia, whose capital is Monrovia, was founded in 1821 by freed slaves from the United States. It is located on the west coast of Africa. Liberia has an area of about 111,000 square kilometers. The population is about 3 million, and there are 16 major ethnic groups; however, the official language is English.

Why should we help Liberia?

Liberia is a third-world country whose conditions have been made worse by a fourteen-year civil war (1989-2003). More than 250,000 people were killed. Over 300,000 Liberians are refugees in different West African countries. Additional tens of thousands are internally displaced.

The war destroyed every sector of the country, especially education and the economy. Illiteracy rate is very high. During the war, most school buildings were either burned down or looted. What is more, you scarcely find schools in certain areas, especially in the countryside. Even those that exist hardly have any chairs, desks, instructional materials or school supplies, needless to mention up-to-date textbooks. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified teachers.

Moreover, the war has also made most parents destitute, making it impossible for them to educate their children, because, in Liberia, there is no free education. The problem is compounded by the fact that most of the school-age children are not in school because they have to help their parents to fetch food for the family, as the cost of living is very high, and most parents are unemployed.

A large number of the population lives below the poverty line; consequently, lots of children eat one meal a day. Besides, a large number of children were child soldiers, knowing nothing about the classroom, but guns, drugs and killing. There is an increase in juvenile delinquency.

Another major problem has to do with the spread of HIV/AIDS among the population because of poverty and ignorance. About quarter of a million people are infected. The situation is horrible for everyone, especially for the children. The children of Liberia will have no future if nothing is done to give them hope.