Save the Children Establishes Girls’ Center

In an effort to improve the lives of vulnerable girls in the streets, Save the Children-UK has established a girls’ Drop-in Center in Gbarnga, Bong County. The Girls’ Drop-in Center is a transitional approach to promoting the enrollment of girls in schools.

According to the supervisor of the Girls’ Drop-in Center Boakai Massalay, the aim of the project is to provide access to basic literacy, life skills and psychosocial support services, self-confidence, improved interpersonal skills to enable the smooth reintegration of the girls into their families, schools and communities. 

Mr. Massalay told our Bong County correspondent that the girls’ Center would provide a safe environment for girls to play, associate, and learn to be reintegrated into society with positive values, and skills.

A survey done by Don Bosco in 2007 singled out that the Government of Liberia did not have a direct line Ministry or agency to address these issues of school- going girls who are out of schools and are engaged in street activities something he said seriously drew the attention of the Liberian Government and his institution.

Out of one hundred targeted girls from the nineteen zones within Gbarnga, seventeen of them have expressed interest in skill training as a mean of living. The Girls’ Drop-in Center is a one year- project run by save the Children -UK. Bong Youth Group Donates to Victims

The Bong Muslim Youth Association, in collaboration with the Ansu Sirleaf Blacksmith Center, has donated to victims of recent disasters in Jorquelleh and Panta Districts one hundred pieces of farming hoes and seven dozens of bath soap.

Presenting the items on behalf of the group, its President said helping the victims of the disaster was part of their social responsibilities. Alieu V. Sheriff said following an assessment, they realized that majority of the victims were subsistence farmers, and giving them these materials would buttress efforts to to restore their livelihood.

Receiving the materials on behalf of the county,  the Superintendent  of Bong County commended the efforts of the organization and described it as timely. Mrs. Selena Polson-Mappy said the donation came as a surprise, especially from a group of young people in the county. Mrs. Mappy said while some young people only found pleasure in what she called engaging their leaders wrongly, the Bong Muslim Youth Association has clearly shown love for its fellow citizens.

A month ago, storm affected the homes of three towns in Yellequelleh and Panta Districts rendering tens of citizens homeless. Despite continuous calls for assistance, especially from the government, they are yet to be assisted. In 2009, the organization made similar donation to the Gbarnga City Cooperation (GCC) to enhance its work.