According to a release issued through the office of the Project Lead, Alex Devine, the upcoming ceremony will feature participation from 15 schools (12 private and 3 public), 373 students, and 263 caregivers.
Monrovia – The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), is celebrating a significant milestone in its ambitious National Street Children Project, with a high-profile dedicatory event scheduled for Thursday April 10, 2025, in Gardnersville, Japanese Freeway.
By Jaheim Tumu, [email protected]
Launched on August 28, 2024, the 12-month pilot project aims to reunite children living in street situations with families, provide access to education, and economically empower caregivers. After just six months of implementation, the project has already made a profound impact, benefiting thousands of children and families.
Dedicatory Event to Spotlight Progress
According to a release issued through the office of the Project Lead, Alex Devine, the upcoming ceremony will feature participation from 15 schools (12 private and 3 public), 373 students, and 263 caregivers, highlighting the program’s growing reach and the tangible impact on affected communities.
According to Key highlights of the event will include distribution of school kits provided by Save the Children to enrolled students, food packages including rice, oil, milk, and other items donated by the Chinese Embassy to support caregivers and acknowledgement of the Liberian Government’s financial support, covering school fees, uniforms, and shoes for the second semester, as well as the rollout of small business grants for caregivers.
Achievements from the First Half of the Project
The project set out to assist 7,689 children and 1,920 caregivers across four zones in Montserrado County.
Devine said to date 5,465 children living in street situations have been identified, documented, and reunified with caregivers, and 1,384 former street children are now enrolled in school. Of this number, 702 in the first semester with support from Street Child of Liberia, and 682 more in the second semester, funded through the Government’s $300,000 budgetary allocation.
In addition, 234 caregivers have received livelihood support packages from Street Child Liberia, 178 children and 49 caregivers have been enrolled in a five-year family strengthening program with SOS Children’s Villages Liberia.
Devine noted that 1,000 households in West Point, linked to 3,896 children, were documented and submitted to GiveDirectly. So far, 150 households have received phones and are cleared to receive $500 direct cash transfers, including $350 for business startup and $150 for academic support.
He also noted that 448 caregivers have been organized into 21 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), with grants ranging from $100 to $150 expected after completion of the cycle.
Partners Driving the Success
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection lauded the “invaluable” support of national and international partners UNICEF for providing technical training, child protection software (CPIMS+), and 50 tablets, save the Children for providing 493 school kits and academic support.
The ministry also thanked the Chinese Embassy for donated over 400 bags of rice, canned food, milk, notebooks, and sports equipment, GiveDirectly for $500,000 in cash transfer support for 1,000 households, Street Child of Liberia for school enrollment for over 700 children.
It lauded the SOS Children’s Villages Liberia providing training for caregivers and in-kind donations to the transit center and the Government of Liberia for $300,000 direct funding to facilitate education and livelihood interventions.
Looking Ahead: Expansion to Nimba, Bong, and Bassa Counties
Building on the successes in Montserrado, the Ministry has announced that the government and partners plan to expand the initiative to Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Bong Counties by 2026, targeting the next most-affected regions. This planned scale-up is a testament to the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable children and strengthening families nationwide.
“The journey toward eradicating street children’s vulnerabilities is ongoing and evolving,” said Alex Devine, Project Lead. “Together, we will light the path to a brighter future for Liberia’s children.”
He added that the Government of Liberia remains steadfast in its goal of ensuring that every Liberian child has access to education, love, and opportunity, through strategic interventions and collective action with its development partners.
