16-year-old student leader and advocate launches Girls’ education NGO, seeks support

Published: February 4, 2026

MONROVIA — A 16-year-old student leader and youth advocate, Princess Koigee of the Redemption School System International, has announced plans to establish a local non-governmental organization (NGO), Girls Guide to Education (GGE), aimed at promoting girls’ access to education and reducing dropout rates across Liberia.

The initiative seeks to improve enrollment, retention, and completion of schooling for girls, particularly those from disadvantaged communities. Miss Koigee is appealing to education stakeholders in both the public and private sectors for financial and technical support to help turn the vision into reality.

Speaking in an interview with The Liberian Investigator on Monday, February 2, Miss Koigee—who serves as student body president and captain of her school’s debate team—said her passion for advocacy is inspired by her ambition to become a lawyer and her commitment to expanding educational opportunities for young girls.

She explained that her motivation stems from the numerous barriers confronting girls’ education in Liberia, including poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, lack of school materials, harmful cultural practices, and limited access to quality learning institutions.

According to her, these challenges have contributed to low enrollment and high dropout rates among girls nationwide.

“Educating the girl child is critical because an educated girl grows into an empowered woman who can uplift her family, community, and country,” Miss Koigee said.

She noted that while government and development partners have made progress, a significant number of girls remain out of school or drop out before completing basic and secondary education.

Miss Koigee said Girls Guide to Education is being designed to address these gaps by providing targeted support systems that encourage girls to remain in school and succeed academically. She identified lack of financial assistance for tuition and learning materials, limited mentorship, inadequate guidance, and weak protection against harmful practices as key factors undermining girls’ education.

Outlining the organization’s objectives, she said GGE will focus on increasing enrollment in primary and secondary schools, reducing dropout rates, providing scholarships and educational materials to underprivileged girls, and creating mentorship and leadership development programs for young women.

“We also aim to raise community awareness on the importance of educating the girl child, while building confidence, self-esteem, and career aspirations among girls,” she added.

The target beneficiaries, according to Miss Koigee, include girls aged 6 to 18 from low-income communities, out-of-school girls willing to return to the classroom, and teenage mothers seeking a second chance at education.

Planned activities under the initiative include scholarship programs, payment of school fees, provision of uniforms, books, and learning materials, as well as back-to-school campaigns and community outreach programs.

She said additional components will include mentorship and leadership training, pairing girls with female role models, life-skills development, career guidance workshops, town hall meetings, radio discussions, and public awareness campaigns on girls’ education.

The initiative will also incorporate health and protection awareness programs, including reproductive health education, prevention of early marriage and gender-based violence, alongside academic support services such as tutorial classes, study groups, and exam preparation sessions.

“Girls Guide to Education, under my leadership as CEO, is committed to transforming the lives of young girls in Liberia through education. By investing in the girl child today, we are building a stronger, more educated, and more prosperous Liberia tomorrow,” Miss Koigee said.

She expressed readiness to collaborate with schools and teachers, parents and community leaders, local government and education authorities, as well as partner NGOs and donors.

However, she stressed that the success of the initiative depends on the support of national stakeholders. She appealed to the Ministry of Education, the Government of Liberia, and local and international partners to invest in girls’ education.

“There is a saying that if you educate a female, you educate an entire nation. We need collective support to develop young girls and secure Liberia’s future,” she said.