Published: January 5, 2026
GBARNGA, Bong County — Children at the Rainbow Orphanage on the Gbarnga–Lofa Road have been forced to defecate in nearby bushes after the facility’s only latrine block was severely damaged, raising serious health and safety concerns for more than 50 vulnerable children housed at the center.
The toilets, constructed more than 20 years ago by a humanitarian organization, were deroofed during last year’s rainy season and have since fallen into further disrepair. The structures now have cracked walls, broken doors, damaged commodes and rotting wooden supports, rendering them unsafe for use.
Speaking to The Liberian Investigator over the weekend, orphanage proprietor Madam Feeta Naimeh described the situation as dire, warning that the lack of functional sanitation facilities poses a grave threat to the children’s wellbeing.
“The bathrooms are very bad. The wind removed the roof during the rainy season, and since then it has been terrible for the kids,” Naimeh said. “For more than 20 years, no renovation has been done. Please use your newspaper to show the public our condition.”
She said the children’s reliance on the bush for defecation exposes them to snakes and other dangerous animals, particularly during the night and rainy season.
Naimeh also fears the deteriorating latrine structures could collapse, injuring or killing children who play nearby or older girls who attempt to use the facilities after dark.
“The bathroom cannot be in this condition and still be used by children,” she said. “These rotten sticks can fall on them and kill them. Those who have the means, please help me.”
Rainbow Orphanage has struggled to meet basic needs since losing its main donor, Christian Aid, nearly five years ago. The international charity previously supplied food and essential items to the orphanage but withdrew its support, leaving the institution dependent on irregular donations from churches and private individuals.
“What Christian Aid used to do for us, I can’t even explain,” Naimeh said. “Since they left, we have been crying.”
Now in her 80s and reliant on a cane to walk, Naimeh said her age and declining health have made it increasingly difficult to seek support or engage in subsistence farming to help feed the children.
“I am old and cannot walk well,” she said. “I was hospitalized recently and have been struggling with memory loss.”
Many of the children at the orphanage have lost both parents, have parents living with disabilities or mental illness, or come from households affected by extreme poverty.
A review by The Liberian Investigator shows inconsistencies in government funding for orphanage homes in Bong County. In one previous budget year, US$2,000 was earmarked for “Bong County Orphanage Homes,” but no funds were disbursed. In the 2024 national budget, US$4,272 was approved under the same line item, with only US$2,000 reportedly disbursed. For fiscal year 2025, US$3,105 has been allocated.
However, it remains unclear which orphanage received the reported 2024 disbursement. Both Rainbow Orphanage and Mount Zion Orphanage in Bong County have denied receiving government support in recent years.
Naimeh said the last time Rainbow Orphanage received any government subsidy was during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
She accused successive governments, including the current Unity Party-led administration, of neglecting orphaned children and appealed directly to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to prioritize support for orphanages in Bong County.
Naimeh also called on the Ministry of Education to employ volunteer teachers at the orphanage’s school, saying the lack of regular salaries has severely affected its operations.
“The children want to learn, but without support for teachers, it is very difficult,” she said.
Discussion about this post