A Need

Our mission began in rural Liberia. A local headmaster of a school and orphanage made it apparent to our team the critical need for educational opportunities in the surrounding region. Very few schools are capable of graduating students ready to enter secondary education or even the workforce. Liberia, among other West African nations, suffers economically simply due to the lack of skilled workers, and ready influxes of foreign business and tradesman. A local headmaster reached out to our team in order to partner in his vision for his school.

The Work

Beginning in 2018, VESA began hosting teacher training institutes in Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia at the invitation of Betty Memorial Institute. Due to the ready demand for teacher training and curriculum development, the institutes were immediately open to other local teachers. These Teacher Institutes incrementally develop teachers and build curricula. After introducing the Core Competencies curriculum in 2019, VESA is in the process of building out formal agriculture and electrical tracks with 11th grade courses to be introduced in 2020.

The Future

The VESA training model will be validated as students successfully enter tradecraft positions and follow-on apprenticeship programs. Once validated, VESA hopes to spread its model of training and school support to additional districts in the region.

Liberian Education Liberia ranked worst in the world in 2015 for student access to primary schools. 62% of Liberian youth never step inside of a school according to UNICEF.