Rebuilding a Lost Generation

Liberia, a country torn apart by two decades of devastating civil wars and unjust leaders, is facing a peace-time challenge of how to educate and rebuild a lost generation of Liberian children. These children have suffered the loss of family, homes, and their education, and the results are devastating. Liberia is still fighting for solid footing on the coast of West Africa as its people seek to rebuild their country from the ground up. However, most of the country remains in a state of disrepair, most notably in the education system. In order for Liberia to thrive, the children require an education better suited for the next generation of leaders. With a lack of money, resources, and teachers, the schools of Liberia are fighting an uphill battle to rehabilitate and educate a generation that grew up in hiding, as refugees, or as child soldiers in the hands of a warmonger. The future of Liberia depends on this "Lost Generation". These images capture the essence of the future of Liberia and those who have committed themselves to educating, despite the odds, a hopeful generation of Liberian leaders.

2013
Kpain School was built to be handicap-accessible, thanks to Dutch missionaries. The school is proud to be able to cater to handicap students.
Hope for the Deaf is the only school in Liberia that specializes in educating the hearing impaired the hearing impaired. They not only teach their students sign language, but also vocational skills, like sewing, that will allow them to enter the workforce. Pictured is a deaf teacher.
An older student dressed in the school uniform in Kpain, Liberia. All schools' uniforms and buildings are colored yellow and blue.
The College of West Africa is one of the oldest high schools in Africa. It is located in downtown Monrovia and has prominent alumni, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. However, the once-influential school is slowly losing students and faculty to more secure public — and government funded — schools.
A junior high choir at Gbedin School.
Ganta UMS is one of the more prominent schools outside of the capital city of Monrovia. Near the Guinea border, it was used as a stronghold for rebel soldiers entering the country. What was once a boy's dormitory is now a bombed out shell of a building. The school is rebuilding and hoping to reopen the dorm soon.
The principal of Gbedin School gives a tour of the campus, pointing out the state of disrepair of the classrooms.
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