Youth and Women Empowerment:

The United Nations world 2009 youth report states that youth make up 25 percent of the global working-age population, but account for 43.7 percent of the unemployed. In Liberia, 65 percent of youth are neither in school nor at work, a situation that can lead to frustration, delinquency and social exclusion. Liberia’s population currently stands at 3,489,072 and is growing at an annual rate of 2.1% with women accounting for 49.4% of the population. However, it is estimated that only 27% of Liberian women are in employed with a greater number of women still unskilled and without employment which often leads to dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, prostitution, teenage pregnancy and social exclusion. A major cause of youth and women unemployment and inaccessibility to entrepreneurship opportunity is lack of empowerment through appropriate training.

AOHL believe that youth and women possess enormous potential and are the society’s most important asset and source of energy and innovation. They can make meaningful contributions to the well-being of societies and therefore, it is essential to address youth and women empowerment in a holistic manner.  AOHL Youth and Women Empowerment Programs are designed to provide livelihood skill training to youth and women as a mean of empowering them to be self employed and sustainable.  In this way, youth and women empowerment will facilitate their participation in the socio-economic development of post war Liberia and effective transformation in society will be realized. The objective of this intervention is to improve the livelihood of youth and women living and working in slums and informal settlements. The program has a desire to ensure the provision of skills training and capacity building through micro-loan and entrepreneur apprenticeship for youth and women in slums and informal settlements in Liberia. Additionally, the issues of gender base violent, prostitution, teenage pregnancy and abuse will be addressed through capacity building programs and high level advocacy to national stakeholders.   
This shows a women receiving a micro loan.  From that she was able to buy 20 chickens and start her own business.

Community Health Assistance Program

Since the return of stability and improvement in governance in Liberia, there has been great progress in economic growth, domestic and foreign direct investments, followed by important gains in the delivery of primary health care services. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of prolonged economic and social collapse continue to hamper access to adequate health care, safe drinking water and sanitation service to the majority of urban slums and rural populations. Many international NGOs have left following the conclusion of their humanitarian assistance programs, while rural community and urban slums health facilities remain handicapped by the effects of long-term conflict, the overall lack of capacity and little support to the health system. AOHL with its current program policy is rooted in holistic development for the well being of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. We now seek to provide strategic health intervention to needed communities aimed at addressing the problems such as HIV and teen pregnancy, lack of medical supplies and personnel support to selected health facilities, the provision of safe drinking water, waste management and sanitation.  These interventions will be community directed in order to ensure sustainability after the donor funding period. AOHL Community Health Assistance programs are geared to support the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare National Health Plan and Policy. The AOHL Community Health Assistance program seeks to fill in the service gap in the implementation of the approved National Basic Package of Health Services for Liberia.  Intervention priority will be given to both private and community health facilities operating in very poor rural communities and urban slums not cover by any donor assistance. Partnership with the central Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and different county health teams is considered a priority in meeting this program objective.   

Donation of Medical Supplies to JFK Hospital

Education                                                                  

The Government of Liberia continues to make important gains in the provision of educational services and infrastructures since stability returned.  However, the effects of the civil conflict continue to hamper access to educational services and shelter for the majority of Liberians especially youth and children in rural and urban slums settlements. The Ministry of Gender and Development in January 2009 reported that 86.9% of Liberian girl’s children and 87.2% of boys between the ages of 6-9 have no primary education, while 43.8% of girls and 42.2% of boys between the ages of 10 – 14 also have no primary education. Literacy rates for women in rural areas are staggeringly low at 26%, compared to 61% for urban women and 60% and 86% for rural and urban men, respectively. The gender gap in secondary school attendance is particularly high in the rural areas with a low 6% net attendance ratio for females and 13% for males.  These are indicators that the challenge for achieving primary education for children less than 15 years of age in Liberia is still enormous.  AOHL consider the education of this age group as priority to the sustainability of post war Liberia’s socio-economic development. Therefore, AOHL wishes to embark on initiatives aimed at addressing the educational needs of these children through the provision of educational shelters in rural settlements and urban slums. Additionally, the provision of educational learning and training materials, support for selected school teachers and the facilitation of short term capacity building training for target community schools will also enhance the achievement of this objective.

Schools Before AOH-L Assistance (In Kparblee)

Students Sorting through many of the books AOHL has brought into the country.

Food Security

The Acres of Hope Liberia “Food Security Program” aims to support rural disadvantaged communities who want to start a garden for self sustainability. Under this program AOHL with donor support will finance a project with a start-up fund to initiate a community gardens or food security projects.  If and when funding becomes available AOHL food security program department will give financial assistance to community groups each year to support the food security drive in selected rural communities. The program will prioritize women and youth groups in target community for support. Partnership with the United Nations World Food Program will be encouraged to facilitate feeding support to eligible community groups.  

This man was helped to start a small farm where now he is able to sell his bananas at market and earn a living. 

Conducting soil assessments......

The same field six months later!

Social Protection for Children

The challenges post war Liberian children face are poverty and abuse. The four common types of abuse are physical, emotional, sexual and various forms of neglect. Another serious issues confronting Liberia’s development in this context is child labor; including the worst forms of child labor like child prostitution, force labor and domestic slavery.  In line with the provisions covered in the International Labor Organization Convention No. 182 on the prohibition and immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, children should only be allowed to do light work in the daytime and out of school-time, or work as a means to express their talents or interests. Interestingly, the number of streets children in Liberia is very alarming. These children need social protection in order to prevent them from being abused by individuals who do not mean well for their future.  AOHL, with a strong belief in child welfare and development has redirected its resource and energy in addressing the needs of abused children in Liberia through strategic social assistance programs. This will provide assistance to children at risk.