tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56130490568311724152024-03-13T11:24:06.266-04:00Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-45601409827797281502015-12-01T09:13:00.001-05:002015-12-01T09:13:16.809-05:00Congratulations Muriel!<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.5636px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Some years ago when LOEP teacher trainers conducted the first teacher workshop at Lott Carey Mission School,Muriel Craigwell was an intern assistant for the workshop facilitators. A high school student back then, Muriel showed great potential and promise for a career as an educator. She begins to fulfill that promise now. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.5636px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Last week Muriel graduated from Stella Maris Polytechnical Institute in Liberia with a Bachelor of Science in Education. A student of remarkable ability, sh<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">e maintained her honors status throughout her four-year college career and graduated with honors and distinction!</span></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.5636px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
Muriel is pictured here with Mrs. Rosa Allen, Principal of Instruction at Lott Carey Mission School. Mrs. Allen, herself a highly accomplished educator well-regarded in her field, has mentored Muriel since she was in high school.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Reverend Emile Sam-Peal, Superintendent of Lott Carey Mission School, is also pictured with Muriel. He has been an enthusiastic sponsor for her seeking assistance for scholarships, encouraging her further study and having her work with students at Lott Carey.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
After her first intern year, Muriel was a valuable participant in all the annual LOEP workshops.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
LOEP sends congratulations to Muriel. We are so proud of her accomplishments and look forward to her success as a teacher. Muriel will make a difference in the lives of her students and in the future of her nation!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtEvYZHp8JRJJHyt2jF5GxW8sSCoozJKa_kUihh4hZWG0l8dEf557OGH4PBYZZLwNIyRhYvXFbxh4XY9Svh6O-jyNGjJ9lnFhdppeGcvS5si3mWPNjUcIfblkHkNrREJM5b3Biz6OTHq7/s1600/mirielandrosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtEvYZHp8JRJJHyt2jF5GxW8sSCoozJKa_kUihh4hZWG0l8dEf557OGH4PBYZZLwNIyRhYvXFbxh4XY9Svh6O-jyNGjJ9lnFhdppeGcvS5si3mWPNjUcIfblkHkNrREJM5b3Biz6OTHq7/s320/mirielandrosa.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRa3blN9triLsRMqY3Le0r2YbfH9JqL5R2N0rXia5YsGU0JuMgMCbcwvB0CSpweFWWDzxZH_aOosHOgS414m3quE8nU-9K_rMGftDSzYcStQNfw8l2BEvR5f5vEnYV56v0tbRSrRiwR3j/s1600/murielandemile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRa3blN9triLsRMqY3Le0r2YbfH9JqL5R2N0rXia5YsGU0JuMgMCbcwvB0CSpweFWWDzxZH_aOosHOgS414m3quE8nU-9K_rMGftDSzYcStQNfw8l2BEvR5f5vEnYV56v0tbRSrRiwR3j/s320/murielandemile.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPic3jmsAQB_9LolwUEGiJ-od4S_puEFWHH0h6g1e5W4igyqxVOMcI1h8P87uf4otnXE1km2DB-agKU3WQsmvTigN80FlkiKQSPTxWMKYuAGaElciZZLyiyQgXLoBYLg2SIPQeMFL-cI1H/s1600/muriel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPic3jmsAQB_9LolwUEGiJ-od4S_puEFWHH0h6g1e5W4igyqxVOMcI1h8P87uf4otnXE1km2DB-agKU3WQsmvTigN80FlkiKQSPTxWMKYuAGaElciZZLyiyQgXLoBYLg2SIPQeMFL-cI1H/s320/muriel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-87601516727067229002015-02-10T10:10:00.001-05:002015-02-10T10:10:18.030-05:00Back to School!School re-opening has been postponed until February 16 in Liberia to give schools time to conform to new health standards that include installing Handwashing Stations and providing disease prevention measures to screen students and teachers for Ebola symptoms. In addition, schools are required to institute disease prevention and health curriculums geared to Ebola prevention. Many schools, closed for months and without revenue during the closure, are struggling to meet the new regulations in time for opening.<br />
<br />
LOEP donors have responded to the new challenge since the re-opening was announced. More than 60 new LOEP Handwashing Stations are being distributed to schools and clinics in rural Liberia. The Handwashing Stations will help schools meet the new health requirements in time for the February 16 opening date. LOEP has also provided "no contact" thermometers for health screening of teachers and students to monitor for symptoms of illness. This is a new disease prevention measure that has been put in place because of the Ebola crisis.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlQLL6WNCvldWgbfhxEfYYlNzsEngLNwqn5DwDNYzyRPliJ4kvaO5mSqW82DLz6UAaJWlxNn44XTmuZdxtYfVEZ2iuA8MY7nfJsH_djTSGB8tcSQ-rewyR3WqdbM49QMrwFGc2ts_nNPQ/s1600/loephw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlQLL6WNCvldWgbfhxEfYYlNzsEngLNwqn5DwDNYzyRPliJ4kvaO5mSqW82DLz6UAaJWlxNn44XTmuZdxtYfVEZ2iuA8MY7nfJsH_djTSGB8tcSQ-rewyR3WqdbM49QMrwFGc2ts_nNPQ/s1600/loephw.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Rosa Allen, LOEP's Volunteer Field Officer, works with LOEP's teacher volunteers preparing the Handwashing Stations for distribution to schools in time for School Re-Opening!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-66962156112639982332014-10-04T11:07:00.001-04:002014-10-04T12:24:40.830-04:00Outreach Education Successful - Focus Shifts to Support<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfoQVF9CQdDwpuiepFncCYxZfy4dKuuYjKfqfaH1-YByMg2l2CkF9_AcuSOFuUE4GkBVzpcfWQaKMHUDHM-MCsivewfbB9nsmcYnbauVbwvmJ365Wv0RbOF9Yuov9aYYjDKGQfSA-VRVv/s1600/monitor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfoQVF9CQdDwpuiepFncCYxZfy4dKuuYjKfqfaH1-YByMg2l2CkF9_AcuSOFuUE4GkBVzpcfWQaKMHUDHM-MCsivewfbB9nsmcYnbauVbwvmJ365Wv0RbOF9Yuov9aYYjDKGQfSA-VRVv/s1600/monitor1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Handwashing Hygiene Project includes monthly monitoring of stations for proper maintenance and frequency of use. This is the first station checked after being in place for one month and was certified by the LOEP volunteer team for clean, sanitized water and continued regular usage!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Project </b><br />
Remarkably, LOEP's simple, cost-efficient project is serving <i>thousands</i> of Liberians with Handwashing Hygiene Stations in more than 200 public locations and many family compounds. In rural Liberia residents have no access to safe, sanitary water. Village markets, clinics, churches, mosques, businesses, and village squares now have LOEP Handwashing Hygiene stations in place and, most importantly<i>, in regular use. </i>One Handwashing Hygiene Station placed in a village market serves more than 100 <i>families, </i>another is placed in a rural clinic that serves more than <i>5,000 patients</i> from surrounding communities. Other stations are placed in businesses and markets where exact numbers of customers are not available but reach well into the hundreds on a daily and weekly basis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Project has been successful most notably in the following ways:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The numbers of
Liberians who have been reached with the message that handwashing hygiene is
important to disease prevention has far exceeded all expectations. </b>The project message was very well-received by
Liberians in rural areas and much of that success can be attributed to the
messengers –local <i>teachers</i> trusted by Liberians who value educators' work with
children, shaping the future of Liberia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A critical tool for disease prevention – clean, safe water for handwashing – is
available to thousands of Liberians who are now also aware of the importance of regular, hygienic
handwashing practices. </b>Having the tools for disease prevention are just as important as having the information and the Handwashing Hygiene Project provided both!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The project has
inspired others to join the disease prevention effort against Ebola. </b> Several smaller organizations in Liberia used
the Handwashing Hygiene Project model for
programs of their own in other rural areas of Liberia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95-MuXNd20acW83Z8gBV6oZNqIOTx6UWxnBYLQL7MlULQH-su9pnnA6cLlsFoPD2-WJ8_gkGH9mz1neT3veHlHYKOtZdM4KBZ6aVOK9n6bX-qvmvobyU_WpixxOf4on4dJ32W2uNokHFC/s1600/phase1no8kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95-MuXNd20acW83Z8gBV6oZNqIOTx6UWxnBYLQL7MlULQH-su9pnnA6cLlsFoPD2-WJ8_gkGH9mz1neT3veHlHYKOtZdM4KBZ6aVOK9n6bX-qvmvobyU_WpixxOf4on4dJ32W2uNokHFC/s1600/phase1no8kids.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mrs. Rosa Allen, (r) delivers a Handwashing Hygiene Station to a family compound. Mrs. Allen and her LOEP Volunteer Emergency Response Team of teachers from Lott Carey Mission School is responsible for bringing hundreds of Handwashing Hygiene Stations to rural Liberia - clean, safe water for hand washing and disease prevention.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The LOEP Emergency Response Team is headed by LOEP Volunteer
Field Officer, Rosa Allen. Mrs. Allen is
vice-principal at a LOEP partner school.
She served as project manager leading the team in developing the Phased
Implementation Plan, logistics such as purchasing and delivery, and provided
complete budgets and follow-up reports on each Phase.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>LOEP volunteers in Liberia</b></i> with the financial support of donors are the reason the
project was a success. Here in the U.S., LOEP volunteers stand in awe of our colleagues in Liberia for an amazing job well done under the most difficult of circumstances. Thanks to all, thousands now have clean, safe
water for handwashing!!<br />
<br />
The LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Project continues as an ongoing education project. When life begins to return to normal in Liberia and schools are re-opened, LOEP will focus on placing stations in schools! A $20 donation supports a Handwashing Hygiene Station, hygiene and disease prevention awareness and sanitizer in a Liberian school!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrppLqdPT6sv3EGyeLCjidYA0R4Ybr4DTE9VbzGlqNEUknrMHV9E38miNaHFL0qh_wmBJBYstYrYrLy1hjOYtwA98jv8Rc3JRYrb0NPItSpbDJm1AVyPVkBe-NZrafd7toSN_mxTO-0-k/s1600/phase1mrT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrppLqdPT6sv3EGyeLCjidYA0R4Ybr4DTE9VbzGlqNEUknrMHV9E38miNaHFL0qh_wmBJBYstYrYrLy1hjOYtwA98jv8Rc3JRYrb0NPItSpbDJm1AVyPVkBe-NZrafd7toSN_mxTO-0-k/s1600/phase1mrT.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuGSqnbzn38Nm__dgsqTPIFiJRv0YJJqYwc7woLrUaXwYI7pT5oQYK482c7PY-AJC4c9gmz-FIeElO4rc9xv-ddnRq6R_DPvYk_eit4yrwddBzN_xkYJhAyMcdVSBxmy6Y6-LJdNDpGfY/s1600/phase1no11demo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuGSqnbzn38Nm__dgsqTPIFiJRv0YJJqYwc7woLrUaXwYI7pT5oQYK482c7PY-AJC4c9gmz-FIeElO4rc9xv-ddnRq6R_DPvYk_eit4yrwddBzN_xkYJhAyMcdVSBxmy6Y6-LJdNDpGfY/s1600/phase1no11demo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">LOEP Emergency Response Team volunteers unload Handwashing Hygiene Station materials and demonstrate how to properly measure, mix and use sanitized water for handwashing to prevent disease in rural Liberia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>LOEP Volunteer Support Project</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Risk of continued exposure to disease for our LOEP volunteers is a serious concern . In addition, conditions in Liberia are very difficult with severe food shortages and shortages of medical and personal care supplies. LOEP is shifting focus from community outreach education to helping our partners through the Ebola health crisis. <br />
<br />
LOEP shipments provide water sanitizer for Handwashing Hygiene Stations and some basic necessities for day to day living and self-protection (soap, rice, tylenol, latex gloves and masks) which are all in extremely short supply.
Please consider supporting the Volunteer Support Project with donations
of materials listed or cash to ship items to our partners who are doing so much to fight Ebola in rural Liberia!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-92034349484996051652014-10-02T10:23:00.000-04:002014-10-02T10:23:04.199-04:00DONATIONS LIST NOW POSTED ON LOEP FACEBOOK PAGEGo to Liberia Orphan Education Project for list of items we need for shipping. Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-19910715203296354102014-10-02T09:26:00.000-04:002014-10-02T09:26:37.661-04:00Life is Different HereThere is much discussion in the media about how the Ebola patient in Dallas could have contracted the disease. There seems to be skepticism about the frequency of body fluids transmission in the course of normal daily life. Life is so different in West Africa and there is no comparison with life in the U.S.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFX5xgGbS8yYvo5ETI20z0XtE1ix8j6mXGkjHR4ZnEHWOIV5yokuY0uMCw1Z3Yy2c-Hfq4Ojr3Ooi8XvWnp-iRsH3ytjmrg4cmnCZO2BDQuGXkM71jtXJLcHlfE9wQ7g-wsrp-BuomZXyX/s1600/phase1mkt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFX5xgGbS8yYvo5ETI20z0XtE1ix8j6mXGkjHR4ZnEHWOIV5yokuY0uMCw1Z3Yy2c-Hfq4Ojr3Ooi8XvWnp-iRsH3ytjmrg4cmnCZO2BDQuGXkM71jtXJLcHlfE9wQ7g-wsrp-BuomZXyX/s1600/phase1mkt2.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Look closely at Nancy Snyderman. The NBC doc is on location in Monrovia now. Her on-location reports show her standing outside in the heat and humidity of West Africa - the TV makeup has dissolved, her hair is hanging in damp hanks and she is visibly sweating! A very different picture from her composed, impeccably dressed and made up appearance from air conditioned TV studios in the U.S.!<br />
<br />
SWEAT is a bodily fluid and it drips off the body constantly in the West African environment of high heat and humidity. Sweat combined with Liberian customs involving touching, Liberian living conditions that allow for NO personal space, NO air conditioning either in homes or transport, as many as six people packed into the back seat of a taxi, open air markets the only option for food shopping with no sanitized water for frequent hand washing - all those factors make conditions favorable for transmitting Ebola.<br />
<br />
Here in the comfort of N. American we live and work mostly indoors with air conditioning. We drive our own personal air conditioned cars, shop in controlled environments and even public transport allows for large margins of personal space so there is virtually no physical contact - living in the U.S. simply does not allow for physical contact with others on a regular, day to day basis. <br />
<br />
In addition, we also have an ingrained habit of hand washing and/or sanitizing with gels and such, at frequent intervals throughout the course of a normal day - and, most importantly, <b><i>the water we use is clean. </i></b> All are conditions we take for granted and unthinkingly assume are available to everyone everywhere. None of these conditions exist for most people in West Africa. There is no comparison between life in West Africa and life in the U.S.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-33344909785930230412014-09-23T20:32:00.000-04:002014-09-23T20:35:29.873-04:00LOEP speaks about the Handwashing Hygiene Project on Georgia Public BroadcastingWe were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Project this afternoon with Georgia Public Broadcasting. You can listen to the interview online <a href="http://www.gpb.org/news/2014/09/23/bringing-fresh-water-liberia-how-one-group-helping-combat-ebola-virus"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
<br />eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-50640486407570369222014-09-08T16:48:00.000-04:002014-09-08T16:48:08.087-04:00Clean is not the same as Sanitary<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last distribution of Handwashing Hygiene stations
included stations placed at two clinics where women were in labor and there was
no access to hand washing. A number of LOEP donors were shocked to see that
and want to understand how such a situation could exist. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It all relates to water quality and
accessibility in Africa - Liberia in particular.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Liberia running water is not available in most
homes. There are no water treatment
plants or sewage treatment facilities.
Household water for cooking and washing is ground water accessed by
pumps and pulled from depths that would not meet health standards in other
parts of the world. Ground water is not
drawn from deep wells but is close to the earth’s surface and vulnerable to
contaminants. In Liberia, conventional
plumbing is uncommon, latrines are everywhere and open defecation is practiced. Bottled water is only available to very few who can afford it and everyone else uses what is available. The World Health Organization estimates that
up to 40% of Liberians have no access to safe, clean water protected from
outside contamination, particularly fesces.
It is common in Liberia for clinics and hospitals, including those treating
Ebola patients, to use water that is accessible - there are no alternatives to contaminated ground water. <br />
<br />
The lack of access to safe, clean water is, in and of itself, a health crisis in Africa. According to WHO statistics, more than 65% of hospital
patients in African hospitals are treated for illnesses related to contaminated
water. In this time of Ebola that
statistic is chilling considering how unsanitary water is in Liberia. Washing with
ground water can remove dirt or blood, for example, and the skin surface may appear clean. But water alone does not remove bacteria and viruses and only bleach can remove Ebola virus! Clean is
a woefully insufficient standard when ebola is a threat, especially in a setting with sick patients. Clean just is not the same as
sanitary. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Health officials are
looking closely at Nigeria where the Ebola virus seems to have been
successfully contained. According to Michael
Ojo, country representative of global water charity Water Aid, a handwashing
campaign was immediately put in place as a direct response to the Ebola outbreak
in Nigeria. Ojo believes the handwashing
campaign may have played a major role in Nigeria’s (so far) successful
containment Ebola. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no data directly linking the ebola outbreak to lack
of access to clean water, but there is plenty of data that proves hand washing
with soap in clean water is the first line of defense in basic disease
prevention. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTZ4oyq_3GGUri2luDik9fmcNd4nYxzs7LBV9OnDAzkdQv6-uLlMZk7RbMkqcQRXSesifkzJPiWmo1KtIvf2VIOGwDRpUHxHfkex00Te8hzO4cnU9OwNV1r6H5Ivc0IZ9Q89o33wRUZ6R/s1600/phase3bckts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTZ4oyq_3GGUri2luDik9fmcNd4nYxzs7LBV9OnDAzkdQv6-uLlMZk7RbMkqcQRXSesifkzJPiWmo1KtIvf2VIOGwDRpUHxHfkex00Te8hzO4cnU9OwNV1r6H5Ivc0IZ9Q89o33wRUZ6R/s1600/phase3bckts.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-31511851623116377502014-09-05T10:16:00.000-04:002014-09-05T10:31:07.956-04:00No School and Teaching Tools<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This time of year these teachers would normally be getting ready for opening day at Lott Carey Mission School. All the excitement of setting up classrooms,
planning new and exciting lessons, anticipation of greeting new and returning
students – it is part of the rhythm of school life for teachers everywhere. This year is different. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0pfpTXVavLDX1BhAbj7iyD_rNS251sQ2nmxJlsqmTa1zbJ7lyGJTBieY_zolH33F2kVrFo9GId6rvP8x-Vl_P97vLp62aD42Jb4lWDeYzSgqeBS8vgoNf3sS9Uasu1emI7wpOjMhGYn0/s1600/phase1no2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0pfpTXVavLDX1BhAbj7iyD_rNS251sQ2nmxJlsqmTa1zbJ7lyGJTBieY_zolH33F2kVrFo9GId6rvP8x-Vl_P97vLp62aD42Jb4lWDeYzSgqeBS8vgoNf3sS9Uasu1emI7wpOjMhGYn0/s1600/phase1no2.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Liberia’s
teachers are idled and facing the hardship of no income during a national
emergency. School in Liberia has been
suspended indefinitely as part of the government response to Ebola. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some
teachers at Lott Carey Mission School have put aside their own hardships and volunteered
for the LOEP Team to plan and carry out LOEP's Handwashing Hygiene
Project. The project, funded by LOEP, is being led on the ground in Liberia by LOEP Volunteer Field Officer, Rosa
Allen (at left in photo). Mrs. Allen is
vice principal at Lott Carey Mission School and a longtime LOEP volunteer and
Team Leader. She has developed a highly
effective plan for distributing hundreds of LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Stations
to rural communities in Liberia and recruited a volunteer corps of teachers from Lott Carey to carry out the project.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ebola
education efforts by government and health care workers have encountered confusion,
fear and suspicion in rural areas where Liberians have little understanding of
disease prevention or the deadly virus.
Some believe the epidemic is a government plot, others suspect it is a
curse, and others simply do not believe it exists. Teachers are familiar and trusted community
helpers, however - not intimidating to villagers in rural areas. The teacher team seized on the LOEP project as
a teaching tool and built a simple education plan into the project. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Each Handwashing Hygiene Station is delivered
with a lesson on basic hygiene and disease prevention with emphasis on
handwashing and Ebola awareness information.
They also do a one month follow-up session to make sure each station is being
maintained and that the water is properly sanitized. LOEP volunteer teachers report remarkable
success with the Handwashing Hygiene project as a tool for educating about
basic disease prevention and raising Ebola awareness and word has spread.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The project has gained traction and Handwashing Hygiene Stations are in demand. Mrs. Allen recently returned home from distributing more than a hundred LOEP units to find a delegation of women waiting respectfully at her front
gate. They had traveled considerable
distance on foot to ask that a LOEP Handwashing Station be placed in their
community. There were no more units left. She had to put their names on a waiting list - the list is growing every day! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">LOEP
Handwashing Hygiene Project is supported totally by LOEP donors. Each unit costs $20 for a station, one month
supply of sanitizer, education on disease prevention and one-month follow-up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXZ3OiKp3BhvNOztGRSSLZl8Z1plW-yPcmmkCG2llI3VwZ7YKOvJPD9ZG2q9ShBIyGpdGQt7ozMedj9LFWkqWgZ2PHC3WnPFf6sz4TRO6NIFFaFAwKhqKCxKODxOoemL5lQEHeDVdWsKq/s1600/women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXZ3OiKp3BhvNOztGRSSLZl8Z1plW-yPcmmkCG2llI3VwZ7YKOvJPD9ZG2q9ShBIyGpdGQt7ozMedj9LFWkqWgZ2PHC3WnPFf6sz4TRO6NIFFaFAwKhqKCxKODxOoemL5lQEHeDVdWsKq/s1600/women.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
Women from a rural community arrive to ask LOEP Volunteer Field Officer Rosa Allen, to place a LOEP Handwashing Hygiene Station in their village. No more units are available and they have been wait-listed until more units can be purchased. Donate NOW!</h4>
</div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">DONATIONS
via PayPal at www.loeproject.org</span>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-76244696210917474212014-08-06T09:16:00.002-04:002014-08-06T09:17:03.403-04:00Why Handwashing Stations to Combat Ebola?LOEP is an education-focused organization. Our work is always aimed at assisting efforts to educate Liberian children and supporting Liberian schools achieve education goals. Thanks to the Internet, we are always in touch with events in Liberia and stay connected with our partner schools and teachers through social media. The steadily growing fear and concern about Ebola was clear even from afar over the past few months. LOEP volunteers became particularly concerned about what effect the mounting widespread public fear would have on children. <br />
<br />
When the World Health Organization announced the Ebola virus in West Africa had spiraled out of control, LOEP volunteers knew the crisis called for us to respond. LOEP volunteers studied the public health campaign work of WHO, Red Cross and other major health organizations and recognized our response had to meet the following conditions:<br />
1. simple, effective inexpensive project supportive of health education programs in Liberia<br />
2. Help children overcome fear/helplessness by encouraging proactive, self-care hygiene practice<br />
3. Promote development of lifelong hygienic practices that will last long beyond the current crisis<br />
<br />
Every public health disease-prevention program begins with the most basic hygienic practice - HANDWASHING! <br />
<br />
Help us promote this basic hygienic practice. Your $20 donation will purchase a handwashing station and chlorination water treatment for kids in Ebola-stricken Liberia.<br />
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-20979423043683275142014-08-05T12:55:00.001-04:002014-08-05T12:55:15.418-04:00WHAT IS A HANDWASHING STATION?Handwashing stations currently being used in Liberia and other Ebola-affected countries are very simply a Covered Bucket with a Spigot. The buckets are filled with water, chlorination treatment is added, fitted cover is placed on the bucket to keep foreign matter (dirt) out and hands are washed under the attached spigot valve which turns on and off. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The handwashing stations are manufactured in Africa and shipped to Liberia. The stations are approved and used by WHO and other international health organizations for use in places like Liberia where plumbing is uncommon and untreated water for drinking and washing is accessed from community pumps, rivers and creeks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Supplies of bleach and chlorination treatment are currently very low in countries where the Ebola virus has struck. In addition, nearby countries are experiencing some hoarding of their supplies of such products (in fear they will be needed should Ebola break out in their own nation). Arrangements are being made now to ship bleach and chlorination products to Liberia for distribution by groups who work alongside LOEP's partners in service of Liberian children. The products from the U.S. will arrive in Liberia within the next month. In the meantime, LOEP partners in Liberia have acquired supplies to begin using the handwashing stations in hopes of mitigating chances of infection and promoting good hygiene practice. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_QngHdpaHCeE9OaLGPACPphBfYe4PuJmE-9pNV44AQ7SC7jQxwZqfrX_4bC29yJllK4viqsuAZJ-kL9a2v8BjWnWQAUbUPjXvmoRh9a7MZdSe5EjEFFbuQobvrFw9Mo2_wGxwmw1oZLZ/s1600/hand+washing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_QngHdpaHCeE9OaLGPACPphBfYe4PuJmE-9pNV44AQ7SC7jQxwZqfrX_4bC29yJllK4viqsuAZJ-kL9a2v8BjWnWQAUbUPjXvmoRh9a7MZdSe5EjEFFbuQobvrFw9Mo2_wGxwmw1oZLZ/s1600/hand+washing.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
$20 buys the apparatus you see in the picture plus chlorination water treatment. </div>
<div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-70815499253032712522014-08-04T21:12:00.000-04:002014-08-04T21:16:17.058-04:00Hand Washing Stations to Combat Ebola<br />
<div>
You can help fight Ebola! Health workers know and advise that frequent hand washing is the first line of defense against infectious disease. A public health campaign encouraging hand washing in Liberia has begun as part of the health education program to overcome Ebola. LOEP is supporting that campaign. For just 20 dollars school children in Liberia can have access to a hand washing station with treated water to fight disease.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For many of our friends in Liberia, hand washing involves more than turning a handle for clean, running water. This basic hygienic habit is not necessarily ingrained in children who have to haul all the household water in buckets from a far away pump or river. LOEP has arranged with our partner schools in Liberia to set up hand washing stations for children. For every 20 dollar donation received, our partner schools can purchase a hand washing station and the chlorine water treatment necessary to combat the Ebola virus (and other illnesses). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Archel Bernard, Friend of LOEP and Volunteer Field Officer, lives in Liberia and provided this great photo. It shows a hand washing station set up in a private residential compound where she lives in Monrovia. When they spotted the station, neighborhood children approached and asked permission of the caretaker to wash their hands. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The goal of the fundamental LOEP health initiative is to help promote hygienic, disease-fighting hand washing practice for children in their own communities. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pIMG28XNRnLC5mMq_TycrNRCz98bZepelHAgaZkHg8UQCzMNVGa0cCeBczeS2Wn2W4AsEHWW5YYviutxx_79NvDQzkAXU4c9-sNKsepBKXE9n79ToLzBeTLVl5UIV6qBX8rLfiEU8Fvl/s1600/hand+washing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pIMG28XNRnLC5mMq_TycrNRCz98bZepelHAgaZkHg8UQCzMNVGa0cCeBczeS2Wn2W4AsEHWW5YYviutxx_79NvDQzkAXU4c9-sNKsepBKXE9n79ToLzBeTLVl5UIV6qBX8rLfiEU8Fvl/s1600/hand+washing.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
LOEP teachers are standing by in Liberia ready to purchase the hand washing stations and water treatment to distribute to schools in their communities. Although schools are closed now and will remain so until health officials get a handle on Ebola, LOEP volunteer teachers will arrange for hand washing stations to be placed in community locations easily accessible to children. When school re-opens, hand washing stations provided by Friends of LOEP will be available in school to encourage and instill the basic hygienic practice beyond the current Ebola crisis. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
LOEP is a small organization with great friends. We have received a flood of calls and messages of concern about our friends and colleagues in Liberia. Friends of LOEP are worried about the children and families LOEP serves. All are asking, "is there anything we can do?". The answer is yes! Your 20 dollar donation will purchase a hand washing station for LOEP partner mission and community schools in Brewerville and Paynesville, Liberia. Check out our website for details and hit the Donate button. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-26702833430707909272014-07-31T15:34:00.001-04:002014-07-31T15:34:42.967-04:00Ebola UpdateThe Government of Liberia has seriously ramped up it's response to the Ebola virus. Schools and government offices are closed and additional travel restrictions and testing protocols have been put in place. The very minimal and fragile health care system that exists in Liberia has been totally over-run. Hospitals in Monrovia have had to close due to lack of space, lack of health care workers (some have succumbed to Ebola, others are too frightened to come to work and still others have ill family members at home who need care), and lack of equipment and supplies.<br />
<br />
In addition, the Peace Corps, mission groups and major NGOs are evacuating personnel until the virus subsides. Airlines are beginning to adjust flight schedules and service to affected areas and most have instituted health protection measures.<br />
<br />
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf gave <a href="http://www.emansion.gov.lr/doc/Special_State_Delivered_July%2030.pdf">this</a> address on Wednesday, July 30. <br />
<br />
Please check the LOEP Facebook page for regular updates and see this space for more detailed information. LOEP is extremely concerned for our colleagues, friends, teachers, students and their families who are in Liberia. Thank you for your continued concern and prayer on their behalf.eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-61742023958311534512014-07-22T15:11:00.000-04:002014-07-31T15:17:56.068-04:00EbolaFriends of LOEP and all our volunteers are keeping our friends and colleagues in Liberia in our thoughts and prayers. The latest report on Ebola is of concern. To get the latest information from the United Nations in Liberia, click on the link below.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://unmil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3982&ctl=Details&mid=6800&ItemID=4660231&language=en-US">http://unmil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3982&ctl=Details&mid=6800&ItemID=4660231&language=en-US</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-32155100821237518222014-03-11T20:34:00.004-04:002014-03-12T08:25:59.879-04:00Meet Rosa Allen!<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Rosa Allen's official title is Vice Principal for Instruction at Lott Carey Mission School but that hardly begins to describe her job or tell her story. LOEP volunteers always leave Liberia wishing every school everywhere could have Rosa running things! She is a remarkable, dedicated educator whose story is told below in her own words.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">In answer to LOEP's interview questions, Rosa writes:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>I grew up in Bong County, Liberia where I was born. My parents hail from Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia. I lived in Grand Cape Mount County with my grand-aunt from age two to eight and then returned to my parents in Bong. </i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>I joined the 4-H Club when I was in the fourth grade and attended the G. W. Gibson Elementary School in Sinjeam, Bong County where I attained my elementary education. In the 4-H Club we had a garden project and a rice project. We learned how to plant a back yard garden and also learned how to plant swamp rice.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>When I was in sixth grade I knew I would become a teacher. I was always the teacher in group play.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>When I entered high school, I started to teach my sibling (my only sister), and other kids who lived with my parents on our farm. During my study at Cuttington, (</i>Liberian teacher's college<i>), I opened a study class for three families and was paid $15 US Dollars per family. I was able to use the money to buy extra food and sometimes clothes at college. It was a very exciting period of my life because the children and their parent love me and looked forward to my visits to teach. Two families fed me every day. This was my first real teaching experience. </i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>Come to think about it, this is the first that I have had the chance to reflect on where I started my journey as a teacher.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>I have taught preschool, elementary school and high school but settled in the junior high school. I taught Language Arts in grades seven through nine for over 10 years. </i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>active, </i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>I love it when a child achieves/performs. For example, when a child is given a task and completes the task there is an inner glow that shows on the face and a change that can be recognized in the child. Any teacher should be able to see the glow in their students. I love it when I am able to recognize and see the glow. Then I know that I am a good teacher.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>Yes, I miss teaching. I substitute when teachers are absent or I sometimes teach an English class.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i>Thank you. I enjoyed this but never thought about writing it down.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Rosa was one of a select few Liberian educators selected for a special Early Childhood Education study tour to the U.S. in November, 2014. She founded a school in 2003 and is active in her community. She is married to an insurance executive and they have four children and three grandchildren. </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Rosa is a professional educator - an asset to the profession and to her nation.</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhyH7NEwESXK-g_lcxHRa-4Oq73zv-iS5LEszDxsm9gLePjhRl2wOYstB4Ls5pBsWjRO9AB9o2kfOuZUWB4QBHfXEDy6ZwOzKvnFNhJJPvespThVJxhjbmri0rL-GqCjgCVz_HCakVZQ/s1600/Rosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhyH7NEwESXK-g_lcxHRa-4Oq73zv-iS5LEszDxsm9gLePjhRl2wOYstB4Ls5pBsWjRO9AB9o2kfOuZUWB4QBHfXEDy6ZwOzKvnFNhJJPvespThVJxhjbmri0rL-GqCjgCVz_HCakVZQ/s1600/Rosa.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Mrs. Allen in her office at LCMS </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpNLwUcGIYoX4HAeAD8rvVezhcIECmgXLNOJJ5ZJ2uOqrMfr18R38Rq1crHT_xP3miymyT0UGy1I035dLrFrzQVOhARwZpvC5BEmdXZ0psvMx3-IfztItltNMr0Nv1KrHYMMY97jTo0I/s1600/Rosa+in+Browntown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpNLwUcGIYoX4HAeAD8rvVezhcIECmgXLNOJJ5ZJ2uOqrMfr18R38Rq1crHT_xP3miymyT0UGy1I035dLrFrzQVOhARwZpvC5BEmdXZ0psvMx3-IfztItltNMr0Nv1KrHYMMY97jTo0I/s1600/Rosa+in+Browntown.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Rosa visits with the LOEP team during her recent trip to the US</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-7219279041997466252014-03-07T20:11:00.001-05:002014-03-07T20:11:40.450-05:00LOEP Introduces... Blessing Gbah <div class="MsoNormal">
The first time I met Blessing Gbah, she seemed a shy and
cautious little girl. We were in the schoolyard of her elementary school and
there were a lot of children running and playing and generally excited because
of the visitors at their school (the LOEP training team). Right away I noticed
the beautiful child with velvety skin and an intense gaze. I could tell this
little girl was curious, but not willing to approach me to find out what she
wanted to know. Her friends had no hesitation, however and they were having a
grand time daring each other to touch my clothes, my hands, and my hair,
giggling the whole time. After some time playing games of “Duck, Duck, Goose”
and “Hot Cassava” in the <i>very</i> hot
school yard, Blessing became convinced I was approachable and was just as eager
to play with my camera and laugh with me as were her friends. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamG3H87MvFO5cM2bDKs55EunepaBbh43_rq009eOtGegVge5sxhJgwQGVZKoYC73bRDvq6WxVjlihZzH_UTcMeL8r9Dd144RTpUd4HUAYvcAZ0iq7OsOIBF3d6HH60J4dTNoXz5wy8k8/s1600/Blessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamG3H87MvFO5cM2bDKs55EunepaBbh43_rq009eOtGegVge5sxhJgwQGVZKoYC73bRDvq6WxVjlihZzH_UTcMeL8r9Dd144RTpUd4HUAYvcAZ0iq7OsOIBF3d6HH60J4dTNoXz5wy8k8/s1600/Blessing.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Blessing and her friends the day that I met them </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgIGOPK34BxQOetJB8YLV9v5XPjsRGVNMDAkujs7lGhZWCdO3sb9TRv5Q7hTItFJ83GxdxsBXBVQZY1XQy5g7NPk_wAqEelfsR6kMw9SIb87MkpZUIVqWyBwcYdQ-uxx8aQzMSeRkR4c/s1600/Blessing+smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgIGOPK34BxQOetJB8YLV9v5XPjsRGVNMDAkujs7lGhZWCdO3sb9TRv5Q7hTItFJ83GxdxsBXBVQZY1XQy5g7NPk_wAqEelfsR6kMw9SIb87MkpZUIVqWyBwcYdQ-uxx8aQzMSeRkR4c/s1600/Blessing+smiling.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blessing is now ten years old and in the fourth grade at
Maretha Preparatory International School in Paynesville. Her favorite subjects
are vocabulary and reading, and she has dreams of one day being a journalist
when she grows up. When she is not in school, she enjoys playing with her
friends and especially jumping rope. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzsTd0tKTRG49dc5Z5wmguNjkZchxGNYosy7X3q815eDIQnIn3uklcFvHrFgKqWvoq4UtZywrFV-HpT_UnJtCpY9nQnYE_lkedCWjQfnflLSNSUgJw0NViYXsE4E7DiBu-_OSbWcyRs8/s1600/100_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzsTd0tKTRG49dc5Z5wmguNjkZchxGNYosy7X3q815eDIQnIn3uklcFvHrFgKqWvoq4UtZywrFV-HpT_UnJtCpY9nQnYE_lkedCWjQfnflLSNSUgJw0NViYXsE4E7DiBu-_OSbWcyRs8/s1600/100_3640.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Blessing (center) with some of her friends </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blessing lives in Paynesville with her mother, father,
younger sister, and baby brother.
Blessing’s father is a gifted teacher, one of LOEP’s Trainer of Teachers
(ToTs). Her mother is a market vendor. Both parents work extremely hard so that
both of their daughters can attend school (baby brother is too young for school
now). Their commitment to educating <i>both</i>
of their daughters (and son, when he is old enough) is exceptional and to be
commended. Blessing and her sister are keenly aware of the sacrifices their
family makes for their education and know it is a privilege to go to
school. They work hard to make the most
of their opportunity for education. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnap7W28OUk0xsneqR491texbNtzc8hqPkH6RpebL8_sTpEis6jt03q0V1v9UEP95-wqjtoLfZJgp3GAXKC79z6XUgSpfTys1t-fsgh1cPZPFDGtVxmlaotTLV1oXF0GgdMNoc2YLkgks/s1600/Gbah+Fam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnap7W28OUk0xsneqR491texbNtzc8hqPkH6RpebL8_sTpEis6jt03q0V1v9UEP95-wqjtoLfZJgp3GAXKC79z6XUgSpfTys1t-fsgh1cPZPFDGtVxmlaotTLV1oXF0GgdMNoc2YLkgks/s1600/Gbah+Fam.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A recent picture of Blessing with her family </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether she continues on the path to journalism or follows
her dreams elsewhere, I know that Blessing will be a great asset to her family,
her community, and her country. Keep up the good work Blessing! There are plenty of folks here in the U.S. who
are wishing you great success!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-4633176806263320052014-03-06T11:33:00.001-05:002014-03-06T11:33:28.187-05:00LOEP Introduces... Captain Dorothy Gray<div class="MsoNormal">
The LOEP training teams have been so impressed with the
faculty at the Lott Carey Mission School over the past 5 years. These teachers
are dedicated to the profession and dedicated to their students. They have embraced
new teaching methods that LOEP has introduced to them and are working together
as a strong team to nurture a community of learners at Lott Carey and
throughout the community. Captain Dorothy Gray is one of these teachers. Capt.
Gray is the ROTC instructor at Lott Carey, where she works with students in
grades 9-11. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Capt. Gray was born in <a href="http://delcity91.com/images1/clay-ashland-liberia-7.jpg">Clay Ashland</a>,
a township in the St. Paul River district of Monsterrado County, about 10 miles
from Monrovia. A serene and peaceful place,
it is a perfect place to enjoy the natural beauty of Liberia. Capt. Gray
spent her early childhood growing up in the Bomi Hills in the north western part
of the country, and moved to Monrovia as a teenager. She graduated from
Augustus F. Caine High School in Monrovia. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On May 2, 1975, Capt. Gray joined the Liberian army and
served for 31 turbulent years. During that time she worked in the training and planning
section and also as an IMET officer, processing soldiers travelling to the U.S.
for training. She became a First Lieutenant in 1985 and was promoted to Captain
in 1998. Capt. Gray retired from
military service in 2006 with a distinguished long service medal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Capt. Gray’s late father, R. Vanjah Richards, was a
nationally-recognized painter and sculptor in Liberia. Mr. Richards graduated from the Art Institute
of Chicago and returned to Liberia where he taught art at the University of
Liberia and served as Mayor of Clay Ashland. His <a href="http://www.tlcafrica.com/pictures/tlcphoto-album1.htm">murals and sculptures</a> can be seen in many public places throughout Liberia. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Four years ago, Capt. Gray began education studies at a
teacher’s college through the professional development program at Lott Carey
Mission School. The professional development program, funded by LOEP, provides scholarship
funds for Lott Carey teachers to study for an undergraduate degree in Education
and a teaching certificate. It was through these studies that Capt. Gray
discovered her own talent for drawing! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Capt. Gray is a highly respected instructor at Lott Carey
and enjoys working with her ROTC students on developing leadership skills,
problem solving, drills, and self-discipline. The ROTC students take pride in
leading the school-wide flag raising ceremony on the Lott Carey campus every
Friday morning under Capt. Gray’s guidance. Capt. Gray is one more example of
the many powerful and talented women LOEP has met in Liberia! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxychSEU4wrNr39taDJry_AqFBt8dU9gBggic2_6GmPk6o62D1XX2NLhLS6PmWj1NvliqqgcwaggRo8URvYoot5TyXLLMqDD1mOvEC0uRQmAMrjl6rtyreE3TtmXtMh_brDgtpD3NiAE/s1600/Capt+Gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxychSEU4wrNr39taDJry_AqFBt8dU9gBggic2_6GmPk6o62D1XX2NLhLS6PmWj1NvliqqgcwaggRo8URvYoot5TyXLLMqDD1mOvEC0uRQmAMrjl6rtyreE3TtmXtMh_brDgtpD3NiAE/s1600/Capt+Gray.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Captain Gray in the Teacher Resource Room at LCMS</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nbl8F6Uz_mXk9s6dw7ac_7EHmvjaXTKifRWrYN_tNi3MlP4YxMs0JM-tF3tGpDkk2LbxJuDd2dl2c0GAu8W2FluHgcscL_MpJTZ8d7zEt08J9yuNwGo7mQc7FDJzZP_DU1jtJEW0SIw/s1600/ROTC+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nbl8F6Uz_mXk9s6dw7ac_7EHmvjaXTKifRWrYN_tNi3MlP4YxMs0JM-tF3tGpDkk2LbxJuDd2dl2c0GAu8W2FluHgcscL_MpJTZ8d7zEt08J9yuNwGo7mQc7FDJzZP_DU1jtJEW0SIw/s1600/ROTC+class.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The LCMS ROTC class (Capt. Gray in red)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0oVa4pEEaoH_hIYd2YRPIHWut7m3nEE69nZGIsvQA5_YKD0yzTe9kHU6y5UNe8NWazRPRAIgKroovZYWEbtDxN6yiQtvtU1KF3Xo9PYPIyKx7iYPgCOasHR0ldxllYjpQwrekV-ajBw/s1600/Flag+Raising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0oVa4pEEaoH_hIYd2YRPIHWut7m3nEE69nZGIsvQA5_YKD0yzTe9kHU6y5UNe8NWazRPRAIgKroovZYWEbtDxN6yiQtvtU1KF3Xo9PYPIyKx7iYPgCOasHR0ldxllYjpQwrekV-ajBw/s1600/Flag+Raising.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Friday morning flag raising on the campus of LCMS</div>
eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-22031208483681973932014-03-05T07:41:00.000-05:002014-03-05T07:41:17.883-05:00LOEP introduces…Humpheretta Reid<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Humpheretta
Reid is a leader. This young lady is working hard to pursue her dreams, and one
can only imagine where her dreams will take her. Humpheretta is eighteen years
old and a senior at Lott Carey Mission School (LCMS). She first started her
education journey at Lott Carey as a little girl in the nursery class at the
age of four, and since then has become an important part of the student body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta,
the youngest of three children, lives with her family in the Brewerville
community. She is committed to her studies and a high achiever, but she also
maintains an active social life. When she’s not in class or studying in the
library on campus, Humpheretta enjoys spending time with her friends, playing
sports (particularly basketball and kickball), reading, and singing.
Hempheretta is a member of the LCMS Choir and ROTC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta
serves as president of the Student Council Association <i>and</i> president of the Elegant Girls Guide of Lott Carey. The Elegant
Girls Guide of Lott Carey is a student-initiated club for female students
(grades K-12) and teachers. The girls in each grade select a female teacher at
the school to serve as their sponsor. The club serves as a platform for
education, conversation, advocacy, and empowerment. The club engages in campus
improvement projects, as well as serving as a safe place for girls to bring
their questions and sometimes, uncomfortably intimate conversation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta
has big plans for her future. After she graduates from LCMS this spring, she
plans to pursue collegiate studies in management and law. Oh, the places she
will go! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">School
is a high priority for Liberians and there is great appreciation for the value
of education. Unfortunately, school is
not an option for all and it is a real challenge for girls particularly. Girls are often the ones kept at home to help
with chores and take care of siblings.
Limited family financial resources may not be available for multiple
children in a family to attend school so boys are given priority. In these
instances, it is often young girls who stay home while their brothers go to
school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the <a href="http://54.227.94.170/user/liberia/#">Liberian Ministry of Education</a>, 20.1% of girls ages 6-11 were enrolled
in primary school in 2013. As girls get older, it becomes even more difficult
for them to stay in school. A scant 8.3% of girls ages 12-17 were enrolled in
secondary schools in 2013. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta
is an exceptional young leader, achieving against the odds. LOEP honors and appreciates Humpheretta and
all of her female classmates in observance of International Women’s Day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v8_Dl7120H6pBO-B8PE7LHbmggKarDfCVphWIAK9hkDJEjlZ7PKRQ6nQC-p6BF0QnktocZ44efSfP47CsL_QJEnFp5J2PHbxg_niDPXN8tHxk2FJxCap7wQ0BlkQKMt-bdXiRHJRgUc/s1600/IMG_2411+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v8_Dl7120H6pBO-B8PE7LHbmggKarDfCVphWIAK9hkDJEjlZ7PKRQ6nQC-p6BF0QnktocZ44efSfP47CsL_QJEnFp5J2PHbxg_niDPXN8tHxk2FJxCap7wQ0BlkQKMt-bdXiRHJRgUc/s1600/IMG_2411+(1).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta addressing the LCMS student body as Student Council President</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1AToIp4bpRVNUem-a2kdMEt3_tHKQvv2qq8_moCrCxav3opFyfMI7CKZtBOr8VfyezzEM64fWBgpRmphdxb0WviVynw59opNpDsnOfWP9d3uVH1DEUaXcBjcmCdTBKHzbmi1Ed8JM-U/s1600/IMG_2409+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1AToIp4bpRVNUem-a2kdMEt3_tHKQvv2qq8_moCrCxav3opFyfMI7CKZtBOr8VfyezzEM64fWBgpRmphdxb0WviVynw59opNpDsnOfWP9d3uVH1DEUaXcBjcmCdTBKHzbmi1Ed8JM-U/s1600/IMG_2409+(2).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta and Mrs. Allen, Vice Principal of Instruction, at the Student Council induction ceremony</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-_2xJqj9kmO3XyYHa8-n9IUVW_P3hz6XjSF7vjphR9vIlAToxAJz95xSBObEfunx1kuoFL0m96KaZNkE8nuRRw4faERNHcn7iStJZdjxuFq4dgCf9tAg75Iy-kouRj1sWI4ACheuhOU/s1600/IMG_2462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-_2xJqj9kmO3XyYHa8-n9IUVW_P3hz6XjSF7vjphR9vIlAToxAJz95xSBObEfunx1kuoFL0m96KaZNkE8nuRRw4faERNHcn7iStJZdjxuFq4dgCf9tAg75Iy-kouRj1sWI4ACheuhOU/s1600/IMG_2462.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humpheretta with her friends on the campus of LCMS</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-4051250933401180962014-03-03T17:18:00.003-05:002014-03-03T17:18:34.675-05:00In honor of International Women's Day, we introduce...March 8 is <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/">International Women’s Day</a> and as the world <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/events.asp#.UxT7MPldUSM">celebrates</a> women and girls we are reminded of the amazing women and girls in Liberia. Their remarkable dedication, tenacity, and leadership has been an inspiration to LOEP volunteers. In honor of International Women's Day, LOEP will feature just a few of those amazing LOEP colleagues.<br />
<br />
Over the next few weeks, LOEP co-founder, Emmalee Hackshaw will share the stories of the extraordinary Liberian women who have inspired LOEP volunteers since 2008 when plans for the first teacher training team began. Emmalee travelled to Liberia as a trainer with the first LOEP teacher training team and has returned to Liberia with four teacher training teams since 2009.<br />
<br />
<b>Muriel Craigwell</b><br />
I first met Muriel in early 2009 when LOEP traveled to Liberia to deliver the <a href="http://loeporphans.blogspot.com/2009/02/training-day-1.html">first training workshop</a> at Lott Carey Mission School (LCMS) in Brewerville. Muriel had just graduated from Lott Carey Mission School a few months earlier and was working as an intern in the school office, shadowing and assisting the administrative and faculty team. She was enrolled in a program at Stella Maris Polytechnic in downtown Monrovia to study education. Muriel lives in Brewerville, an outer suburb of Monrovia, with her mother and brother and is now a senior at the Bishop John Collins Teacher College at Stella Maris Polytechnic where she is completing her academic work in education.<br />
<br />
In addition to her full-time studies, Muriel continued her association with Lott Carey where she showed great aptitude for teaching. She has progressed from her internship at Lott Carey to become a full-time teacher. Miss Craigwell teaches 3rd grade at Lott Carey, and is a major asset to the elementary team.
With her obvious natural gift for teaching and her quick and thorough grasp of modern instructional techniques and methods, Miss Craigwell was identified by the LOEP training team and Lott Carey administration to serve as a LOEP-trained ToT (Trainer-of-Teachers). With her ToT colleagues, Miss Craigwell leads professional development trainings at Lott Carey and will also be conducting LOEP trainings with her colleagues around the country.<br />
<br />
I have had the pleasure of visiting Miss Craigwell's classroom and the pure excitement to learn and eagerness to please in the 30 bright and smiling faces of her students is infectious. The warm and safe classroom environment Miss Craigwell has created is remarkable. Her nurturing instincts and love of learning make her a natural fit for the education profession. She is an expert at her craft.<br />
<br />
"My favorite part of teaching is doing fun learning activities with my pupils and the love we share as a big happy family. Am always happy knowing that i am inspiring my students positively in every way." - Miss Craigwell<br />
<br />
I know that many of us have memories of that special teacher and loving classroom experience we had at some point in our childhood. For myself, that fond memory is of my second grade teacher, Mrs. Hannah. She was pretty, funny, smart, fun, and I loved everything about her and her class. I have no doubt that in 25 years there will be a contingency of Lott Carey alumni who will remember their time in Miss Craigwell's class and think fondly of the time they spent learning with her.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxvM2_dOHkHQsWwPNWWQP0UvygYjKAUTgt9OXJAVKGmRMhigHUw2k9xXW8J5IBy1q5Epp4Uq4CTZphJJd2Lgu4vDUDKTANW9IynMH-EgEkQUv3HQdbgGAFE-34AI9XcEEYXMl8iznVOY/s1600/Muriel+and+LCMS+classmates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxvM2_dOHkHQsWwPNWWQP0UvygYjKAUTgt9OXJAVKGmRMhigHUw2k9xXW8J5IBy1q5Epp4Uq4CTZphJJd2Lgu4vDUDKTANW9IynMH-EgEkQUv3HQdbgGAFE-34AI9XcEEYXMl8iznVOY/s320/Muriel+and+LCMS+classmates.jpg" /></a></div>
Muriel Craigwell (center) during her senior year at Lott Carey Mission School
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfT5DwLro3_xYPyIwnreJR7Y8sU6IE-TRbXjvFgSclUYHKkVxhre3zMmUWyLomr-0zJmYD-mfUqkhuuoKZB4Sfcyxgj1d6SCp35WrMB5IC6Y3JMNgemi1DNULxQ2zMffy72XzhkOGHGk/s1600/100_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfT5DwLro3_xYPyIwnreJR7Y8sU6IE-TRbXjvFgSclUYHKkVxhre3zMmUWyLomr-0zJmYD-mfUqkhuuoKZB4Sfcyxgj1d6SCp35WrMB5IC6Y3JMNgemi1DNULxQ2zMffy72XzhkOGHGk/s320/100_0699.JPG" /></a></div>
Muriel as an intern at a LOEP training in 2009
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qNcA63Rn4l_Xyvxzh0-uQvgqBiaSugU__CKp9Z9HlbT-eW_3s3s45AgDK2LZmoOXMoZSErHvpSy5utcQrYm9LVwP4ig3l6lh9Q3sDHKtUv6492rj8rj5I7oqvWhUQ1Pz5V5v7I3CO4k/s1600/Elementary+teachers+working.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qNcA63Rn4l_Xyvxzh0-uQvgqBiaSugU__CKp9Z9HlbT-eW_3s3s45AgDK2LZmoOXMoZSErHvpSy5utcQrYm9LVwP4ig3l6lh9Q3sDHKtUv6492rj8rj5I7oqvWhUQ1Pz5V5v7I3CO4k/s320/Elementary+teachers+working.jpg" /></a></div>
Miss Craigwell and other members of the elementary team at Lott Carey planning lessons
eiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10626354015790749346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-666194232819373972013-09-07T10:17:00.000-04:002013-09-07T10:30:00.282-04:00International Literacy Day<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17.265625px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">Sunday, September 8, 2013 is International Literacy Day! The observance focuses on worldwide literacy needs and LOEP has a special Literacy celebration planned.</span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17.265625px;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17.265625px;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thanks to individual donors, partner churches and organizations, LOEP is privileged to celebrate Literacy Day on Monday, September 9 by delivering 115 boxes of books for shipment to Liberia! The books are bound for our partner schools, Lott Carey Mission School (LCMS) and Hope for the Deaf School. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 17.258522033691406px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 17.258522033691406px;">The LOEP book shipment will provide Lott Carey Mission School (LCMS) with an elementary Reading Instruction program complete with student textbooks, supplementary instructional materials and teacher's editions. LOEP plans to follow up with a Reading Instruction workshop for LCMS teachers to assist them in making best use of the Reading program for their students. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 17.258522033691406px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 17.258522033691406px;">Thanks to a partnership with Middletown Methodist Church in Maryland, LOEP is also sending books to set up a Reading Room at Hope for the Deaf School. LOEP friends are familiar with our partners at Hope for the Deaf and have supported the school's vocational program. Last year LOEP partnered with Hope to help develop the school-to-home program. Hope administrator, David Worlobah, reports the program to build the relationship between student families and the school has been successful with excellent response from the families of students. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 17.258522033691406px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 17.258522033691406px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now Hope needs a Reading Room. The school has no library and very few books. The new Reading Room will expose students to books, instructional games and activities and will also provide resource materials on deaf education for teachers and parents of Hope students. </span> </span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.265625px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtx2LHSGn4hSC1S3omfHUVKPfYAwBMVrxZMa6bWyG97GvV8F6CsvxyOSoFsi0qWtzhZtcfB20hNaOSb7nDItXTBN6u6d8buE4765ahiJJcmwsmYRLV44og8Oy3dtg5SUcKDQucre6mUVN/s1600/mrsgohreading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtx2LHSGn4hSC1S3omfHUVKPfYAwBMVrxZMa6bWyG97GvV8F6CsvxyOSoFsi0qWtzhZtcfB20hNaOSb7nDItXTBN6u6d8buE4765ahiJJcmwsmYRLV44og8Oy3dtg5SUcKDQucre6mUVN/s320/mrsgohreading.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Lott Carey first grade teacher, Mrs. Goh, is selecting books from the LCMS library for her classroom library and Reading instruction. Complete Reading Instruction programs are unavailable in Liberia and teachers select random books from limited school libraries for classroom instruction in reading. Mrs. Goh is a LOEP teacher. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmTC7SE71VLHnjxl-2oHVwIlP-QWSA7jR2D5XP3R96m8XcBT7gP7ATyDMfzEfVo3J7fJDDWzcrTkuKKUS6w0Xv-pJO9-Mznm-brP9A3REF8awT0RVCzWNbZjgXSB7X9bLeUzZ65lQjd3v/s1600/hopebeanbags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmTC7SE71VLHnjxl-2oHVwIlP-QWSA7jR2D5XP3R96m8XcBT7gP7ATyDMfzEfVo3J7fJDDWzcrTkuKKUS6w0Xv-pJO9-Mznm-brP9A3REF8awT0RVCzWNbZjgXSB7X9bLeUzZ65lQjd3v/s320/hopebeanbags.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Hope for the Deaf students with visiting LCMS/LOEP teacher, Mrs. Harvey, play spelling games with alphabet bean bags. Instructional games and activities are generally unavailable and unfamiliar to Liberian teachers and students. These students jumped right in with great excitement to practice their spelling skills and "play" with the instructional bean bags when LOEP visited last year. The new Reading Room stocked with books and instructional materials will be an asset for building literacy skills for students at Hope for the Deaf School.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Help LOEP celebrate Literacy Day! Just $35 sends a Book Box directly to a Liberian classroom. Click below and help a child learn to read!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home">https://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-76311564426921459012013-08-08T13:45:00.003-04:002013-08-08T13:46:42.643-04:00Scrabble Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmhHQ86tHdgv1DdfA4oT8S7BEhYxmzciLclkQSHSab4El8_RZ8Gps6HCJ7p3FpsERckUZaTtk8PS1VctvyL8BvGSt51xllI2kvHJxEFPb_Tw1sVAtHh-PQ3ipbFySV4K9B-A4aMzIDwJu/s1600/scrabble+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmhHQ86tHdgv1DdfA4oT8S7BEhYxmzciLclkQSHSab4El8_RZ8Gps6HCJ7p3FpsERckUZaTtk8PS1VctvyL8BvGSt51xllI2kvHJxEFPb_Tw1sVAtHh-PQ3ipbFySV4K9B-A4aMzIDwJu/s320/scrabble+kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Liberian students are not accustomed to instructional materials in the classroom and games such as Scrabble are not common teaching tools. This group is taught by a teacher who has attended all the LOEP training workshops and uses imaginative and creative methods in his classroom to teach students. Liberian students are highly motivated by the competitive aspect of instructional games and Scrabble has been a very successful teaching tool for this group.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-81436805834279629902013-08-03T18:58:00.003-04:002013-08-03T18:58:56.641-04:00<div class="MsoNormal">
How does LOEP make sure our work does not trample over cultural
values of our colleagues in Liberia?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LOEP volunteers are a diverse group of highly experienced educators
and trainers, successful professionals in the fields of communication,
academia, the Arts, international development, former Peace Corps volunteers,
Liberians and others of African parentage. All LOEP training programs including
workshops, training materials and instructional materials are carefully developed
with an eye for sound educational concepts.
LOEP educators recognize that sound educational concepts are based on
appropriate cultural frame of reference.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
LOEP looks to a broad range of international leaders in the
field of education and training for source materials. Educational resources as diverse as UNESCO, Edutopia.org, Reading Rockets, education journals, NAEYC, and many, many others have provided source materials for LOEP
workshops and materials.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How do we make sure we provide “culturally appropriate”
materials and books for children to use in the classroom?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LOEP volunteers spend many hours sorting and selecting
materials and books that promote general universal themes (friendship, animals,
peace), covers a range of disciplines (language arts, math, science, social
studies, the Arts), up to date atlases and maps, educational children’s science
and literary magazines and educational games and puzzles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although games and puzzles are not used much in Liberian
classrooms, LOEP has had some success introducing teachers to use of Scrabble
and other games with students. One of
LOEP’s teachers has organized Scrabble tournaments within his school and the
activity has become enormously popular.
The tournaments are lively and have a high rate of participation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How do we determine what is “culturally appropriate” for
Liberian classrooms?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LOEP volunteers look for materials that have a multicultural
viewpoint. This means materials that
include children of all ethnic groups, stories of children and daily life in
other countries, customs and practices outside of Liberia. Another
way of providing multicultural viewpoint is, for example, the language arts and
social studies materials that incorporate elements of and appreciation for the
strong African tradition of oral story-telling.
These are most useful for Liberian classrooms. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Study of literature, art, music and science can transcend
cultural boundaries and LOEP volunteers see examples of creative teachers using
such materials in the classroom all the time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of LOEP’s Trainers of Teachers uses a well-worn copy of
the Collected Works of Shakespeare in his high school classroom. The Bard’s dramas have endured because they explore
universal human themes common to us all, regardless of ethnicity. Our LOEP colleague helps students select
portions of Shakespeare's plays to re-enact in the classroom as part of the literature
study. They discuss how the drama’s
theme (greed, jealousy, leadership, etc.), may have affected public life in Liberia and
their own personal lives. The drama form
itself is perfectly suited to the wonderful African affinity for dramatic
presentation and the students follow up discussion with a skit based on the
play. Both content and form are relevant
for students, the creative teacher makes it exciting and they delight in the
study of Shakespeare’s classics! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-79083916716402221382013-07-31T13:26:00.002-04:002013-07-31T13:26:53.470-04:00“Culturally Appropriate” Books for Liberian Classrooms<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
There are no publishers of reading textbooks in Liberia. In fact, there are few book publishers in
West Africa where the culture is based on oral traditions rather than the
written word. Each year millions of
books are sent to Africa from the U.S. and Europe where books are more abundant.
So many American books are sent to
Liberia, that if an American child were to find herself in a school library in
Liberia (extremely rare), she would be surrounded by books very familiar from
her own experience in an American school. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One young member of a LOEP training team was looking over
the books in a Liberian school book storage room during a workshop break. There were about 200 books – old, pre-1985
textbooks, mostly single copies, random subjects. She noticed lots of American history books,
some old Reading textbooks, and Science textbooks. All were still in regular use at the school. It shocked her to see the third grade Math
textbook and fourth grade Social Studies textbook that she used in her own
grade school days in the early 1980s.
Such familiar items of her own personal history here in Liberia!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As educators, those of us involved with LOEP believe
education is key to our work in Liberia promoting strong professional
competencies for teachers, student social responsibility and peaceful
coexistence. As teachers we know how
important it is for children to learn within the context of their own
culture. Education and culture are so
very closely interconnected that the two cannot really be separated. The prevalence of and reliance on American textbooks
in Liberia poses a challenge for LOEP volunteers as we design teacher training
workshops and provide instructional materials for Liberian classrooms. We know that kids learn best within the
context of their own culture – learning does not happen in a vacuum. We know teachers need to teach within that
context and materials need to be relevant. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next couple of blog posts will explain how LOEP selects books and instructional materials to send to our partners in LIberia. <o:p></o:p></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-83118150408337760052013-07-18T19:32:00.001-04:002013-07-18T19:32:45.938-04:00What is a Book Box Campaign?<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why do we call it the "$35 Book Box Campaign"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Moving companies use a particular sized box for packing heavier loads such as textbooks. Charges for shipping our boxes to Liberia are based on how much space the box takes up in the shipping container rather than how much it weighs. The "Book Box" measures about 1.5 cubic feet and our shipper charges $35 per Book Box.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">LOEP is packing up a complete Reading program in Book Boxes bound for Liberia. </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Learn how you can send a $35 Book Box to a Liberian Classroom!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: grey; display: inline; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home">http://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd3pw3dSKcQQlWoC6AM3a_QnchdrkCkyuqYYYLzWbEZQga4NtKsQg1OfGOBOIdGhFyB-1smSG6hKbCwGAxJA78r0Njqcsu1SjMzow2hY1_YsP5yVZ-iyDBl2JHTwllXN9ZJDM8czrlARo/s1600/38588.1773263889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd3pw3dSKcQQlWoC6AM3a_QnchdrkCkyuqYYYLzWbEZQga4NtKsQg1OfGOBOIdGhFyB-1smSG6hKbCwGAxJA78r0Njqcsu1SjMzow2hY1_YsP5yVZ-iyDBl2JHTwllXN9ZJDM8czrlARo/s1600/38588.1773263889.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-58294719595028550502013-07-17T08:08:00.003-04:002013-07-17T08:10:31.167-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Send Books!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;">In
2008, a World Bank-funded study confirmed serious deficiencies in reading among
Liberian school children. Among other
shocking and disturbing statistics, the study showed:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">34%
of second grade Liberian school children
could not identify or read ONE word. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Second
graders in Liberian schools could only read an average 19 correct words per minute</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;">These facts are not surprising when you consider that most Liberian school children go all the way through school without books in the classroom. Many Liberian children go as far as sixth grade without ever holding a book in their hands. They learn from reading what the teacher writes on the blackboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Today's Liberian school children are the future of a re-building nation. They need to learn to read! They need to lead responsibly! They need to be educated! They need to learn to read! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can make that happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Help LOEP send reading textbooks books to Liberian classrooms! Join us on Causes and make a donation to send Reading Textbooks to Liberian classrooms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="http://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.causes.com/actions/1753260-send-books-to-their-classrooms?ctm=home</span></a></div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613049056831172415.post-59137491795052674932013-04-21T14:51:00.000-04:002013-04-21T14:51:30.312-04:00Make Mother's Day Extra SpecialHonor Mom with a gift donation to LOEP! For a limited time LOEP is offering to send your Mom (or other significant female in your life) a tangible gift reminder of how much you honor her. Make a gift donation in honor of your favorite lady(ies) and LOEP will send a Patchy Pouch to the honoree. Patchy Pouches are beautiful, multi-use accessories, individually designed and made using African and commercially available fabrics.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI0Kcik_FTlmPeB7NLvNtfD_jndsV6h3U9HhquMHzgSWQYPRvTUDmqbrzkbcBuzKtm0XekO_2aXvC7GpfdBNOMWPScx_R_KIDjLCUbV7DBFhfKkgy_OeC9h68mT9muyMAKngdSucxN0uC/s1600/patchypouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI0Kcik_FTlmPeB7NLvNtfD_jndsV6h3U9HhquMHzgSWQYPRvTUDmqbrzkbcBuzKtm0XekO_2aXvC7GpfdBNOMWPScx_R_KIDjLCUbV7DBFhfKkgy_OeC9h68mT9muyMAKngdSucxN0uC/s1600/patchypouch.jpg" height="320" width="292" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
All you have to do:<br />
<br />
1. Make a minimum donation of $10 through either Google Wallet or PayPal on the LOEP website.<br />
2. E-mail the mailing info. on who and where you wish to have the Patchy Pouch sent. LOEP will ship a Patchy Pouch of our choice at no additional charge and include a note stating the item is sent as part of a gift donation from you to support orphan education in Liberia. <br />
3. Wait for the thank you call from Mom you are sure to get, saying how much she loves your thoughtful gift. <br />
<br />
Can you think of a better way to honor Mom than by supporting education for orphans?<br />
<br />
Donate soon - this is a limited fundraiser for Mother's Day giving.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XxRRlXQWTnmoVrsys5nGDeHS_noBDz5DsjWv37taIhxdB7h8f55MsVUcdHq1JVfKj1EOR3lWIZSUTaDMxBLo1Zsu7JgzSopdEoTi9ZACkj2gnu8Yff1pt5SFvByW_pP0rYcyOh6qloRn/s1600/crmkids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XxRRlXQWTnmoVrsys5nGDeHS_noBDz5DsjWv37taIhxdB7h8f55MsVUcdHq1JVfKj1EOR3lWIZSUTaDMxBLo1Zsu7JgzSopdEoTi9ZACkj2gnu8Yff1pt5SFvByW_pP0rYcyOh6qloRn/s1600/crmkids.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124705972418692702noreply@blogger.com0