A greater opportunity

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of peace in Liberia. Civil war ravaged the country for decades and destabilized the entire infrastructure. Basic necessities such as jobs, health care, and education had become all but nonexistent. Many of the educated population fled for safety, leaving a huge hole in the education system. By the time schools started running again, almost every single child was behind. Displaced by these circumstances, many children also ended up living in orphanages during this time. The Liberian government says that youths over the age of 18 can no longer live in orphanages; however, most have not graduated by that time. This results in a huge gap in care, education, and life skills for young adults all over the country.

Possibly thousands of youths fall into this place in-between, and there is no one doing anything about it.

Orphan Relief and Rescue, the organization that I work for here in Liberia, is trying to start assisting some of the orphans that we know who find themselves in this situation-- young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 who have been kicked out of an orphanage due to their age, but have not yet finished high school and have very little life skills or experience living outside the walls of an orphanage. We have started a Greater Opportunity Assistance program that will help them to stay in school and learn skills that will help them survive life in the real world.

We are currently only able to assist three young adults through this program. Jestina (18), Eugene (20) and Sackie (21) are all seniors in high school who are no longer allowed to live in the orphanage where they grew up. Their school fees and basic living expenses are covered so they can focus on doing well in school and don’t have to worry about where they will lay their heads at night or how they will fill their stomachs each morning. We have seen that helping them with these basic needs and mentoring them through basic responsibilities of life has released the pressure they were under.

Recently, we were able to move Jestina into her own apartment. Pride shines in her eyes as she shows off her new place-- her meager belongings kept tidy and clean, everything in its own place. The boys are working part-time; hopefully, they will also be moving into their own place soon. All three of these young adults are happy and confident. They are not just surviving--they are thriving. They are really living, and we are so proud.

Eugene and Jestina

www.orphanreliefandrescue.org