Ruth has an unusual opportunity—one that more than 400,000 Liberian children don’t have. It’s an opportunity thousands of Liberian parents long to give their children but can’t. Ruth is going to school.
Ruth attends Light Mennonite School—one of two CAM-supported schools in Liberia. The school operates under the direction of Faith Mennonite Church in Lott, Texas. She is able to attend the school because of generous supporters who help fund CAM’s International-Sponsor-A-Student program.
Light Mennonite School is quite different from most schools in Liberia. While most Liberian children copy their lessons from a blackboard, Ruth studies from a textbook. While many Liberian teachers pressure their students into giving them money for good grades, Ruth learns under the direction of a godly teacher. Instead of being exposed to dishonesty and immorality at school, Ruth is exposed to Bible truths she can carry with her for the rest of her life.
Pray for Ruth and the 290 other Liberian children attending CAM-supported schools. Pray that, as they grow older, they will embrace the Bible teaching they receive and use their reading, writing, and arithmetic skills to further God’s kingdom in Liberia.
Why is good schooling so rare in Liberia?
The rate of children out of school is higher in Liberia than any other country in the world. Following are a few things Liberians face in sending their children to school.
- Years of civil war destroyed most of the schools and left the country in extreme poverty and ruin. Parents fled conflict areas, forcing the children to drop out of school, in some cases for years.
- A deadly Ebola epidemic that swept through the country in 2014 closed all the schools again. The epidemic left more than 4,500 children without a caregiver to pay schooling expenses.
Irregular pay for the teachers and lack of curriculum, desks, and supplies leave schools operating inefficiently. “I know of no Liberian school with textbooks for all the students,” says James Yoder, CAM’s country director for Liberia.
If you are a student, parent, or teacher, as you step into the classroom for another year, thank God for the wonderful opportunity to attend school.
