programs

​THE CHALLENGES – AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT THEM
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THE CHALLENGES WE FACE 

We have had positive impact on Kolahun since 2014. RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA developed its innovative and unique approach – integrating  health care, education, and opportunity to better lives. But it's only the beginning.

Now we tackle the challenges that remain:

Poor access to health care. 
The average Liberian must walk three hours to reach a health facility.  90% of communities have no health facility. Even where a facility exists, often there is a lack of skilled staff and basic supplies.
  
Liberia's health indicators lag those of virtually every other nation. The country's maternal mortality rate is nearly 1,000 women per 100,000 live births. The rate in the United States is 25 per 100,000.

Scarcity of food. 
Less than 9% of the Liberian population overall has enough to eat, and the statistics for Kolahun are even worse. 27% of the children under age 5 are underweight, 39% suffer stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition, and 7% are severely malnourished.
Lack of educational opportunities. 
Many villages in the Kolahun District have no schools.  
Where schools do exist, many families cannot afford the school fees. The majority of Liberians are illiterate, with only 40% of the population having attended some schooling.

the solutions we provide

Health and nutritional support
  • Baseline health assessments and periodic health and nutrition checkups
  • All recommended vaccinations
  • Insecticide-treated bednets and training in their use, to prevent malaria
  • Education in basic hygiene, to prevent Ebola and other infectious diseases
  • Education in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
  • Psychosocial support, including identification of children suffering from post-traumatic stress
  • Assessment of children's nutritional status
  • Provision of supplemental food
  • Nutrition education for caregivers
Educational support
  • Payment of school fees
  • Educational tutoring, as needed
  • Provision of school uniforms and supplies, as required
Economic opportunities
  • Vocational training for family and older beneficiaries, to give them a means of earning a living
  • Starter kits for such vocations as farming and tailoring

impact

Today, RHL’s children are fully vaccinated, sleep under bed nets, receive check-ups every three months, and eat at least 2 meals a day.
 
99% of all able-bodied, school-aged children in our program attend school regularly and 66% attend after-school tutorial sessions. 96% passed their grade last academic year.
 
38% of caregivers of children enrolled are members of the Women’s Weaving Cooperative. 96% have chosen to take out a microloan and 80% of borrowers are repaying their loans on time.