Liberia
Stories from change-makers in Liberia
Like many girls in Liberia, Blessing had to drop out school when she learned she was pregnant.
Without an education, she feared her dreams of a better life would never come true.
Until an invitation came along that changed everything.
Blessing joined Plan International’s Girls Advocacy Alliance, a group that establishes safe spaces for girls to become leaders in their communities. She became an active member, recognized for her commitment and passion. And then, armed with her new confidence, Blessing decided to return to school, while still continuing her advocacy work.
“Seeing what I went through as a teenager — coming from a poor family, getting pregnant and dropping out of school — I don’t want other girls to experience the same,” Blessing says.
Blessing was chosen to be the keynote speaker at a Plan campaign event in Liberia. Her speech focused on gender equality. She challenged her peers to do more to fight discrimination, and she called for harsher penalties for gender-based violence.
“My advocacy is about giving girls the opportunity to make good decisions and right choices. Our government needs to create spaces for girls to develop and learn so that they can become future leaders.”
Learn more about our advocacy work
Until an invitation came along that changed everything.
Blessing joined Plan International’s Girls Advocacy Alliance, a group that establishes safe spaces for girls to become leaders in their communities. She became an active member, recognized for her commitment and passion. And then, armed with her new confidence, Blessing decided to return to school, while still continuing her advocacy work.
“Seeing what I went through as a teenager — coming from a poor family, getting pregnant and dropping out of school — I don’t want other girls to experience the same,” Blessing says.
Blessing was chosen to be the keynote speaker at a Plan campaign event in Liberia. Her speech focused on gender equality. She challenged her peers to do more to fight discrimination, and she called for harsher penalties for gender-based violence.
“My advocacy is about giving girls the opportunity to make good decisions and right choices. Our government needs to create spaces for girls to develop and learn so that they can become future leaders.”
Many girls in Liberia are afraid COVID-19 will put all of their hopes and dreams on hold.
It’s a feeling they know all too well, because that’s what happened to them during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
Praise is one of those girls. She wants to be a fashion designer someday. She hopes to visit Paris after finishing high school so she can personally meet the designer who inspired her.
But COVID-19 threatens all of her plans.
“I am upset,” Praise said about missing school. “I miss my subjects, I miss my classmates and my teachers.”
Praise tries to spend time every day reading her old textbooks so she doesn’t fall too far behind. But she finds it hard without anyone to guide her or answer her questions.
“I am afraid the world will continue to be locked down,” she said. “It will delay girls’ education, and many may not be able to graduate as planned.”
Praise, and girls like her in Liberia and around the world, shouldn’t have to sacrifice their futures because of a crisis. They need educational resources at home, and a guarantee that they’ll be back in the classroom as soon as it’s safe to be there. Plan is working to make sure that’s what happens.
Help girls like Praise
Praise is one of those girls. She wants to be a fashion designer someday. She hopes to visit Paris after finishing high school so she can personally meet the designer who inspired her.
But COVID-19 threatens all of her plans.
“I am upset,” Praise said about missing school. “I miss my subjects, I miss my classmates and my teachers.”
Praise tries to spend time every day reading her old textbooks so she doesn’t fall too far behind. But she finds it hard without anyone to guide her or answer her questions.
“I am afraid the world will continue to be locked down,” she said. “It will delay girls’ education, and many may not be able to graduate as planned.”
Praise, and girls like her in Liberia and around the world, shouldn’t have to sacrifice their futures because of a crisis. They need educational resources at home, and a guarantee that they’ll be back in the classroom as soon as it’s safe to be there. Plan is working to make sure that’s what happens.
Plan International has been working to improve children’s lives in Liberia since 1981.
Our work in Liberia
Office & operations
Plan’s country office is located in Monrovia, with program unit offices in Lofa and Bomi.
Technical areas
Protection, Skills & Work, Youth Voices, Health
Number of sponsored children
As of June 2022, people like you sponsor 19,316 children in Liberia through Plan International.
Gender equality is a fight we must all take on together. Through sponsorship, you can change lives and create long-term impact in communities.
The full circle of Fate
When you sponsor a child through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.
But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:
Send them birthday gifts and cards.
Give them special holiday presents called Little Treasures.
Subscribe them to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.
Arrange a visit (pending any travel restrictions), with individual travel assistance from us.
Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and with the exception of Little Treasures they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.
Meet a child to sponsor