HLF School Begins 2012/2013 Academic Year, And We Need Your Help!

Our school in Buchanan, Help Liberia Foundation Community School, has reopened for the 2012/2013 school year, which runs from September 2012 to June 2013. We are, however, facing a serious challenge to our future.

The reopening day – the first day of the school year – which took place last Monday, September 10, followed a two-day teachers’ workshop and other pre-opening activities and preparations, which ended on September 8.

HLF kids on day one of the school year

The opening day brought together old and new students, as well as old and new staff members. So far, there are about 115 (one hundred fifteen) students, comprising 9 (nine) different classes: K-3, K-4, K-5, Grade-1, Grade-2, Grade-3, Grade-4, Grade-5 and Grade-6. Although the school year has begun, registration is still on going.

Help Liberia Foundation Community School, which comprises both kindergarten and primary divisions, has about 15 (fifteen) administrative, instructional and support staff.

Considering the happiness and readiness of the kids to be in school, coupled with the preparedness and seriousness of the staff to help the kids, we are convinced that we will have a more successful academic year than we had last year.

K-3 kids in their classroom on thr first day of school

Unfortunately, this zeal and dream may be short-lived if a serious problem currently hanging over the school is not removed before the 15th of October (next month).

As many of you may know, the building in which we are operating the school is not a school building; it is a residential building, which we have been leasing for the last seven years. The last time we paid the landlords was in 2008 when we paid for three years, which expired about two months ago.

The shock came about two weeks ago, during the teachers’ workshop week, when the landlords informed us that they were increasing their lease amount to US$50 per month, that we should pay for three years on or before the 15th of October, and that failure on our part will cause them to evict us from the building on October 16. We have appealed to them to reconsider their decision to no avail. We have also taken some concerned parents of the school and residents of the community to beg them, but they have refused to listen.

A cross-section of the kids and the staff on the first day of school

We are, therefore, sending out this SOS call to all individuals and institutions of good will to please come to our aid. We are in dire need of US$1,800 (US$50 per month times 36 months) to pay the owners for the three years they are requesting. We don’t want to see the kids wasting in the street or the community. We don’t want this dramatic interruption in their learning process. It will be traumatic for all of us. We need your help – any assistance you are able and willing to render for this purpose.

In case you desire to assist us with any amount that will help pay for the three years, please contact us, or get in touch with Catherine Gill-Jamieson (of Scotland and Liberia) or Mary Smith (of England). You may send money directly to the school using the school’s bank account (information here), or via Western Union or MoneyGram.

We thank you in advance for your support.

Grade 2 kids in class on the first day of school

Kids playing outside on the first day of school