Why are We Doing This?

Getting an Education in Liberia is Hard!

First- parents choose between public and private schools. Public schools are the slightly cheaper (not free) option, but they are massively overcrowded and there are too few of them. This means that kids at these schools have to walk long distances to reach 50-person classes– often carrying their own chair so they can squeeze in! On the other side, there are private schools with a big range in cost and quality. 

Despite these hurdles, Liberians know the huge value that an educated child is to their family, community, and country! The problem is that a lack of jobs and continually rising inflation have created a gap between what most parents can pay, and what it costs to keep a quality school open.

Making a Better Community School

No one knows these challenges better than Care Mission’s founder Sampson. Growing up in a small village outside of Ganta, he overcame incredible obstacles to finish college in Liberia’s capital, and then return to his home county to work for a local non-profit. We met as coworkers in 2013 and kept in touch by email after I returned to the US. Throughout our friendship, I have always been impressed by his seriousness when it comes to educating himself, and improving the lives of youth in Liberia. 

Always ambitious, Sampson began the plans for Care Mission back in his college days, but had to set it aside for years waiting for funds to get started. Finally in 2018, amidst a declining economy in Liberia, the Care Mission school opened its doors for the first time. 

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Over its first two years, the school has successfully educated over 100 students, employed 7 teachers, and 7 additional staff. We received a loan from another non-profit to assist with an addition to the building, and have applied for several grants for further improvements. 

Despite these achievements, the main sticking point has been setting and collecting tuition fees. In the Care Mission school community, there is a gap between what it costs to pay teachers, staff, and rent, and what students and their families can afford to pay. This is why I registered the Care Mission non-profit organization in the US in early 2020. Our goal is to raise enough money to subsidize the cost of tuition for each student, thus allowing community children to attend a good school, without compromising on teacher salary or quality. 

Like you, students and families understand the value of education and are willing to pay for it. They know that investing in their children now means better economic opportunities, better access to information, and a brighter future for the country. With your donations, we can make school affordable for more children.