HLF School Registers Own Post Office Box

Posted on January 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

We are pleased to announce that our school – Help Liberia Foundation Community School – has finally registered its own post office address. It is a medium-sized box, and it’s registered at the head office of the postal affairs at the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications in Monrovia. The box was registered last month, December, 2014.

The address is this:

Help Liberia Foundation Community School
P. O. Box 1553
1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia
West Africa

This means, for the first time ever, the school now has its own permanent postal address. Prior to this registration, the school was using a post office address owned by a different entity.

Whitney Barkley

Whitney Barkley

The obtainment of this important facility was made possible by one of our supporters, Whitney Barkley, an American living and working in Minnesota, USA. She raised the money and sent it to Lena and Anders in Sweden, who in turn sent it to Liberia.

Whitney raised the money when she was working as teacher with New Horizon Academy because she and Mr. Paul Yeenie Harry had discussed and agreed for the two schools – Help Liberia Foundation Community School and New Horizon Academy – to enter a pen pal relationship. She currently works as Educational Assistant with Intermediate District 287; however, she has promised to continue to work on behalf of the school and the kids in other ways.

We all at the school are extremely grateful to Whitney for helping the school in this selfless manner. She has shown to us that she is a friend of the school and the kids. Thank you, Whitney, for doing this for the school! We very profoundly appreciate your humanitarian gesture.

The acquisition of the postal address is an important development as the school intends to establish pen pal relationships with oversea schools in order to afford our kids and our staff the opportunity to interact with kids and staff in other parts of the world.

Henceforth, anyone wishing to send handwritten communications or any items to the school should do so, using the new address provided above. It is now the school’s mailing address.

The only fixed cost associated with the maintenance of the box is about $60 (as per the current exchange rate), which we have to pay to the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications every December, which is a fixed fee levied by the government of Liberia.

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HLF Kids Receive Christmas Gifts

Posted on December 23, 2014 | Leave a comment

Help Liberia Foundation Community School, through the kind donations of four of its sponsors, purchased Christmas presents and distributed them among the kids in the school.

Children and parents getting ready for the start of the distribution

Children and parents getting ready for the start of the distribution

The items bought included thirteen 25-kg bags of rice, one carton of Crown Vita and three 5-gallon containers of vegetable oil.  The carton of vita contains 12 packs and each pack contains 100 vita cubes.

Distribution going on

Distribution going on

The distribution was done on Sunday, December 21. Prior to Sunday’s distribution, because the school is closed as a result of the Ebola crisis, a three-day announcement (Friday to Sunday) was made on three radio stations. Besides, the staff went in the community to personally inform the children and their parents.

Distribution in full swing

Distribution in full swing

It was a joyful day not just for the children, but also for the staff of the school and the residents of the community. The distribution was headed by the Parent-Teacher Association (P-T.A) of the school, headed by its Vice Chairman, Mr. Zogar.

Community residents in line to receive food

Community residents in line to receive food

We served more than a hundred children. For the kids who were not around, their parents came and collected their food. Then we served our teachers. After that, we called the residents of the community, especially those in close proximity with the school, and also served them. Everyone was grateful and expressed thanks to the sponsors through the school.

Waiting to receive their items

Waiting to receive their items

“We thank you and the people overseas for always doing this for our children almost every year. We will continue to remember you for what you are doing for us and our children,” remarked Mr. Zogar to the Director of the school, Mr. Paul Yeenie Harry, who also thanked the parents and the kids for being appreciative.

Measuring out the rice

Measuring out the rice

Mr. Harry: “On behalf David Turner, Mary Smith, Lena and Anders Marner, we wish to thank you all for appreciating what we are doing here today. We at the school, like those who made this possible, are happy that they can do this for our kids and all of you at this time of the year.”

Staff members happily receiving their share of the food

Staff members happily receiving their share of the food

The money for this year’s Christmas gifts was donated by four persons – David Turner, Mary Smith, Lena and Anders Marner.   We wish to thank them very much for their kindness, which has put Christmas smiles on the faces of our kids.

(click on any of the pictures below to see larger versions)

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Update on Christmas Gifts Fundraising Appeal

Posted on December 1, 2014 | Leave a comment

Yesterday made it exactly 15 days since we launched the Christmas Gifts for HLF Children Fundraising Campaign on November 16.  Besides, yesterday was the end of the month.

Students taking test

Students in class

Therefore, we wish to inform you, especially those of you who have donated toward the effort to put smiles on the faces of the children in our school, that so far only $250 has been collected from two persons – David Turner and Mary Smith of the United Kingdom.

David donated $150 from which $6.15 was deducted as service charge, leaving a balance of $143.85. Mary donated $100 from which $4.20 was deducted as service charge, leaving a balance of $95.80.

In short, we now have $239.65; meaning, we are still in need of $610.35, since the total amount for the exercise is $850. And December 5 is the deadline for the campaign.

Can you help us raise this amount?

The easiest way to donate is through the PayPal account. If you prefer, you can also send money directly to the school’s bank account, or through Western Union or MoneyGram.

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Christmas Gifts for Our Children – Can You Help?

Posted on November 16, 2014 | Leave a comment

We would like to put smiles on the faces of the children at our school this Christmas. Can you help us raise US$ 850 by 5 December?

The outbreak of the Ebola virus has caused children to be out of school for months, and these include children of our school. But it also has to be remembered that this outbreak has not only caused children to be out of school; it has also increased the economic hardship parents face in this country, as many of them are without jobs and some of them who have jobs are forced to stay at home without being paid or given any special incentives.

Children singing at last year's Chrstmas event

Children singing at last year’s Chrstmas event

This reality/situation will, of course, adversely affect many children, including children in our school, during this Christmas holiday. And this is why we want to come in to help these children, and we want to do it for three (3) main reasons.

First, it is our usual year-end practice to purchase Christmas gifts for the children in our school and distribute these gifts among them.  We want to continue this tradition, especially during this Ebola time.

Second, we want to put some smiles on the faces of our children. We want them to know that there are people who care for them and want to make them happy this Christmas holiday.

Finally, we want to use the distribution of the Christmas gifts to encourage the children, the staff, the parents and the community, and to call their attention back to the school before the actual re-opening of school, especially considering the fact that the school has been closed for months and the fact that we will be adding the junior high division.

In view of the foregoing, we are launching an $850 fundraising campaign to purchase Christmas gifts for the children, and the gifts will include two (2) bales of clothes and five (5) bags of rice. More than 100 children, as well as several staffers and parents, stand to benefit from the exercise.

Breakdown of Cost

  1. 2 bales of clothes @$300 = $600
  2. 5 bags of rice @$40 = $200
  3. Transportation and related costs = $50

We appeal to everyone, especially our regular sponsors and donors, to please help us raise this amount before December 5, so that we can put smiles of the faces of the children during this Christmas holiday.

The easiest way to donate is through the PayPal account controlled by Lena and Anders in Sweden. If you prefer not to use PayPal, you can also send money directly to the school’s bank account, or through Western Union or MoneyGram.

We would also appreciate it if you are able to share this fundraising appeal with your friends and family, and on your social media pages.

We thank you in advance for your support!

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Fifth Ebola Update

Posted on November 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

From all indications – as per the reports we are getting from local and international entities, including our own Health Ministry – the spread of the virus is reducing remarkably. And everybody is happy – but cautiously happy – about it. Not only is the number of new cases per day dropping, but the predictions by the international community that there could be thousands of new cases per week by December is also not happening.

Washing hands regularly helps to prevent the spread of Ebola

Washing hands regularly helps to prevent the spread of Ebola

Significant Improvements

  • The Deputy Health Ministry Tolbert Nyenswah told the country today that there are about 50 to 100 suspected cases per day across the country. Before, it used to be about 600 to 700 cases per day across the nation.
  • Besides, he indicated that the number of new confirmed cases per day is between 10 and 15, saying that in August, it was about 100.
  • He then encouraged Liberians to swiftly and happily take their sick or infected relatives to the ETU (Ebola Treatment Unit) because there is significant improvement in the care of patients and because there are empty bed spaces at the various ETUs, including between 300 and 400 empty bed spaces in Monrovia alone.
  • Health workers, especially nurses, are one of the groups highly hit by the virus, as many of them lost their lives in the process. However, the Deputy Minister said that in the last two weeks, the number of nurses affected by the virus is at zero.

Construction of More Ebola Treatment Units

Meanwhile, the government and its international partners continue to construct ETUs across the country. It is said that the plan is to build about 10 – 100 ETUs in each county.

The United States government just completed and turned over an ETU in Bomi County. The same USA completed another ETU in Congo Town (at the new Defense Ministry site), which the government has begun to use. Six Ebola patients are being treated there, but the facility can accommodate about 200 persons. The US has also completed a 25-bedroom ETU for local and international health workers who may contract the disease while helping Liberians.

Another ETU is being constructed at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex (commonly called SKD) by China, WHO and WFP.

New Cases

There are reports of dangerous new outbreaks in certain parts of the country – Grand Capa Mount County, between Gbarpolu and Bon Counties, Logan Town in Montserrado, Guhzon in Rivercess County, etc. over 40 persons are quarantined in Johnson and food were distributed to them yesterday.

Deputy Minister Nyenswah said that although the virus is reducing in Monrovia, there is more active transmission of the virus throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations Emergency Ebola Program has warned Liberians against early celebration, as the virus is still in the country.

Three Phases of Ebola Management and Control

The Deputy Minister told the nation that they have divided their Ebola management in three phases. According to him, Phase One occurred when the virus was rising and spreading rapidly, like in August and September, which has reduced. Phase Two is what the country is experiencing at the moment – pockets of hot spots, outbreaks in the rural parts, etc, which may go on for a while. And Phase Three which will be the time when there is zero case of Ebola in the country.

Additional Signs of Improvement (?)

During the height of the Ebola crisis, the government told many of its employees to stay at home, calling them “non-essential” staff. Yesterday, the government started calling back some of these people, asking them to return to work immediately.

Also, the Ministry of Education is instructing the administrators/administrations of all public schools to go to work on their various campuses daily and to also begin repairing classroom chairs and desks. Although no specific announcement has been made about the exact date for the re-opening of schools, the general perception is that this may happen anytime next month or in January.

We promise to keep you informed.

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