WPWHDO Promotes Girls Quality Education

As the year 2023 wraps up, the West Point Women for Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO) continues to make great strides in ensuring that Liberian girls are empowered through quality education.

As part of the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism, West Point Women for Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO) over the weekend, commemorated the day with an appropriate program to promote girls’ quality education for gender equality and awareness raising around the 16 Days of Activism.

The ceremony which was held at the YMCA brought together hundreds of young Liberian girls and elderly women including their male counterparts. At the occasion, the girls some of whom are school dropouts for several reasons, narrated their ordeals and praised WPWHDO for its impart on the lives of vulnerable girls who were able to return to the classrooms through the intervention of WPWHDO with its partners including the British Embassy near Monrovia.

Rejoice Allison narrated that while in school; she got pregnant and was forced to quit her education due to pressure from friends and mostly her parents who expressed their anger against her in various manners.

“I was attending the Martida Newport High School and was doing fine in school; my parents were supporting me but then I got pregnant and was forced to leave school. They got angry with me and told me to sit home, but WPWHDO came in and after I gave birth, they help me to return to school and I’m proud to say that I will be graduating from high school now,” Rejoicenarrated happily.  

Like Rejoice, Doris Jabateh, another beneficiary of WPWHDO’s girls’ empowerment program praised the organization for its continuous support to vulnerable Liberian girls who suffered various forms of dejections.

“WPWHDO along with the British Embassy have given us hope to know our values. Thank to WPWHDO for the many assistances; I also want to thank the British Embassy through Madam Kate Tompson who has been very instrumental in ensuring that we get various forms of education,” Doris said.

Giving an overview of the program, Nelly Cooper, Executive Director of West Point Women for Health and Development Organization said the organization was established in 2002 by few women who saw the level of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Domestic Violence and other forms of violence being perpetrated against Liberian women mostly in the Township of West Point.

“We the women got together and decided to speak with one voice against violence against women. We noticed that women were left behind in the area of education, boys were given preference over girls to go to school, but we decided that women cannot continue to depend on men; so we thought that though our mothers were made to leave behind, this time we will ensure that women are educated and be dependents,” Madam Cooper narrated.

She added that the issue of nation building is not just the responsibility of men as women are now seriously involved along with their male counterparts. “Nation building is not only men business but everybody’s business because women are now educated and can compete with the men in moving our country forward,” Madam Cooper stressed.

She said the program to educate girls by WPWHDO is being hugely supported by the British Embassy through its Charge D’ Affaires, Kate Thompson who has been very passionate about ensuring that women are recognized as part of the larger society who can make meaningful contributions in building a wholesome society.

Madam Cooper disclosed that to provide sound and quality education to the girls, the British Embassy provided grant to the organization to empower 100 vulnerable girls from the various communities in Montserrado County. Kate told us to continue the girls’ education program; she’s always with us and we are so grateful to her,” Madam Cooper among other things concluded.

Also speaking, the Charge D’ Affaires of the British Embassy, Kate Thompson lauded WPWHDO for its many efforts in ensuring that girls’ voices are being heard through its empowerment programs. “I’m moved by the stories of these girls because Liberian women and girls have great quality and potential and if girls are given the opportunity to be educated, they will make meaningful contributions to the society,” Kate Thompson said.

She added that violence against women is being perpetrated in every part of the world giving statistics of her own countries and other countries around the world. Kate Thompson said there are various forms of violence being meted against women including rape, sexual assaults, gender-based violence, domestic violence among others which women and girls continue to sufferedacross the world. She added, “99% of women around the world suffer horrible violence including your country, Liberia.”

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