Global Playground is donating $20,500
to construct a new Technology Hub for MFA.
A New Technology Hub in Liberia
Global Playground is pleased to announce a partnership with the LEAD Monrovia Football Academy (MFA) in Monrovia, Liberia.
Global Playground is donating $20,500 to supplement the extensive building of the Academy's permanent grounds. These funds will go directly toward the construction of MFA's "Technology Hub." Construction began in September 2019 and is expected to be completed in late 2020. The new facility will serve 160 students, ages 8-18, and allow the Academy to strive for further inclusivity and achieve a 1:1 ratio of female to male students.
MFA selects students from across the 15 counties of Liberia to attend the school. The Academy’s mission is to unite Liberian youth and promote gender parity in education around a shared love of football. In a survey, students of MFA were 46% more likely than the control group to say that girls are as smart as boys. Between June 2016 and July 2017, MFA students also improved their standardized exam performance 12% more than students in the control group.
160 students,
ages 8-18, will be served by the new facility.
In a survey, students of MFA were 46% more likely
than the control group to say that girls are as smart as boys.
The State of Education
Today, education in Liberia is free for primary school students. Yet, only 44% of Liberian youth eligible for this primary education attend school, and less than 40% of children complete primary school (1). After enduring 14 years of civil war and school closures after the 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus, Liberia must address significant challenges to making education accessible.
Standing between 15% and 20%, Liberia hosts one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in the world. Many primary and secondary school students are also overage, due to delayed enrollment and a lack of formal school enrollment policies. UNICEF reports that these students, placed in a grade unfitting for their age, face a higher risk of dropping out than their younger counterparts (2).
The country has made progress in increasing educational opportunities for children since the outbreak of the Ebola virus, though. In 2015, for instance, about 1.4 million children were registered for school, and UNICEF has collaborated with the Ministry of Education to revise Liberian educational policy. In 2017, Liberia also launched the Partnership Schools for Liberia program, an effort that connected 93 state-schools with private international school groups and non-governmental organizations (2).
1. “Liberia: Education”. USAID. (2020).
2. “Basic Education: Liberia”. UNICEF.
44%
of LIBERIAN YOUTH ELIGIBLE FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION ATTEND SCHOOL.
>40%
oF LIBERIAN CHILDREN COMPLETE PRIMARY SCHOOL.
Liberia is one of the world’s youngest countries. According to the CIA World Factbook, the average Liberian citizen is 17.9 years old.
Did you know?
Liberia was the first African country to be elected to the United Nations Security Council.
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