Published: October 14, 2024
MONROVIA — In support of the Government of Liberia’s “Back to My Classroom” campaign, UNICEF Liberia, through its Country Representative Andy Brooks, has donated 5,000 back-to-school bags to the Ministry of Education to accelerate student enrollment in the country.
The “Back to My Classroom” campaign aims to increase school enrollment by identifying and addressing the root causes of low attendance, such as poverty, cultural barriers, and lack of access to educational resources. The donation ceremony by the UNICEF Liberia Country Representative took place at the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town over the weekend.
Mr. Brooks highlighted UNICEF’s technical support aimed at helping the government develop comprehensive strategies to reach out-of-school children, improve school infrastructure, and enhance teacher training.
“As part of its commitment to ensuring quality education for every child, UNICEF is providing both technical assistance and essential educational supplies to support the campaign’s objectives,” he stated.
The UNICEF boss further indicated that the organization is also supplying newly enrolled children with school supplies to help alleviate the financial burden on families and encourage continued attendance. “These supplies include school bags, notebooks, and other essential materials that are crucial for a child’s academic success,” he added.
He emphasized the institution’s commitment to working with the Liberian government and partners to ensure that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to receive a quality education.
According to him, the ‘Back to My Classroom’ campaign is a vital step toward achieving this goal, and UNICEF is proud to be a partner in this important initiative.
“UNICEF’s support for the ‘Back to My Classroom’ campaign is part of its broader efforts to promote education for all children in Liberia. By providing technical assistance and essential resources, UNICEF is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable education system that benefits every child in the country,” he explained.
Mr. Brooks described the fact that over 50 percent of Liberian children are not in school due to many factors as unacceptable, adding that this number of children requires urgent attention to save the new generation. “I like the way this campaign is being broken down. Let’s start in seven counties, get 15,000 children in school, then expand to ten counties, build it up, and by the end of year three, let’s aim for the sky and get 100 percent,” he proposed.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Liberian government, Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Education, Nyekeh Y. Forkpa, lauded UNICEF for the gesture and promised that the items would certainly benefit the targeted students.
“This is not the first time UNICEF has supported a Liberian government-led initiative and we, as a government, are very excited about this to get our children back to school,” Minister Forkpa said. He stressed that the campaign is a government initiative with support from UNICEF.
“The ‘Back to My Classroom’ campaign is a government-led initiative, and we’re proud to have UNICEF as a committed partner. Together, we’re working to create a future where every child in Liberia has the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Minister Forkpa.
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