PHOTO: Girls working hard against illiteracy
Had it not been for the “Speed School” program, at least 30 children would have contributed to the already high illiteracy rate in Liberia, West Africa.
Their right to education would have been permanently violated without this second-chance, supported by charity.
With no cost to their parents or guardians, these students commit to a total of 600 hours over 10 months to transition from zero literacy to 4th grade competency. This gives them writing, reading, Arithmetic and comprehension skills that most ordinary Liberian schools struggle to maintain for formal school-going children.
The Nyonblee Cares Foundation adopted this catch-up education program from the Luminos Fund for Education. Facilitator Ruth Barchue, assigned to the New Buchanan Speed School Program, learned the module from the Luminos Fund in Liberia. She and her peers are determined to bridge the gaps in child illiteracy through the sponsorship of donors from the Nyonblee Cares Foundation in the USA.
When asked how children enroll in the program, Ruth explained that a community assessment usually precedes the recruitment process. “While school is in session, we visit homes and the streets to meet children who have no means of going to school. They are always home or selling while their peers attend school,” Ruth revealed. Parents or guardians are traced to ascertain the identity of the out-of-school children. “The rest is record as funding is made available for us to start a center,” Ruth said.
Cynthia, 12, lives with her grandmother after losing her mother. She has not seen her father, who neglected his fatherhood responsibilities. By December, Cynthia be ready to attend formal school for the first time. Cynthia wants to be a medical doctor, a dream now on course as she completes her catch-up program.
Another smart-looking girl, Ruth, has an ailing father who is unable to earn money. The whereabouts of her mother are unknown. She is confident about her education now that she has five months to get her education fast-tracked. Ruth cannot wait to join her friends in grade school.
Cross-Section of the New Buchanan Speed School Class of 2024
The United Nations obligates member countries to take affirmative actions to ensure the right to education of a child is not violated, (CRC 28).
UNICEF rates Liberia as a nation with one of the highest populations of out-of-school children (6-14 years), at 15-20%. The over-age children in school are another matter of concern for Liberian schools.