New Water In The Desert Assembly NWIDA

US-Embassy​-Funded Girls Career Club and

Women Empowermen​t Program

GIRLS CAREER CLUB INTERM REPORT

Church Aid Incorporated

Interim Project Report (IPR)
Girls Career Club and Women Small Skills Training
September 2011 – January 2012

Submitted To:

US Public Diplomacy Section
United States Embassy in Liberia

The Community Women Training Center (CWTC)
Church Aid Incorporated
P. O. Box 6567
VOA#1 Road, Northwest Avenue

County
E-mail: nwidaliberia@yahoo.com, churchaidliberia@hotmail.com
Phone: 231-886-517176 / 452763 / 520-153

15 January 2012

Executive Summary

Brewerville, Montserrado
Liberia, West Africa

An agreement was signed and entered into on the August 30, 2011 by and between the United States Embassy in Liberia Public Diplomacy Section and Church Aid Incorporated (CAI) at the former’s offices in Mamba Point, Monrovia, to help strengthen girls’ career promotion program in Mother Tegeste Stewart School (MTSS) and also attract young girls to enroll and remain in school. Part two of the agreement is to help train rural women in small skills in Montserrado and
Bomi Counties. The actual starting date of the project was delayed due to three weeks delayed by ECOBANK in acknowledging receipts of funds from the US Embassy.

The objectives of the two projects are to address the economic vulnerability of rural women and give girls a sense of responsibility for personal and income general activities through the establish sewing unit, girls access to computer literacy, expose school girls to the experience of the internet usage thereby benefiting them of chances to establish their personal emails, communicate with one another, expose school girls to careers they could pursue in future and

introduce them to vocational education while in grade schools, etc.

CAI implementing the project through her Community Women Training Center (CWTC), has carried out recruitment of girls, launched program and began to expose girls to their future
challenge of income generation through the home arts works that they have completed and exploration to computer and internet usages, amongst others. Presently about 50 girls are enlisted in this program.

The Girls Career Club was launched on September 26, 2011 with the theme “The importance of nursing a career in high school”. The Program was grace with the presence of Ms. Dehab Ghebreab, Director, US Public Diplomacy Section and Madam Oretha Duo, District Education Officer, St. Paul River Right Bank, Montserrado County. Ms Ghebreab served as the Keynote speaker. She commended Church Aid Incorporated for the program. She told the students "Don’t
limit yourself because of your present condition or your family background. Help someone in need", she added. On the part of the elections, she called on the students of voting age to vote for the person that is best to lead Liberia. She urged the students to promote non-violence elections. Ms. Ghebreab called on the Ministry of Education to encourage civil education from elementary level to senior high level. “This will help teach the value of democracy” she added.

The Keynote speaker also reminded the students to remember that only a peaceful environment can enable them to continue to go to school. So, "say 'no' to potential violence"!, she warned the teeming students. She lauded the humanitarian and development efforts of New Water in the

Desert Apostolic Pentecostal church, the parent body of Church Aid and its pastor, Rev. Kortu K. Brown who she recognized "is not just a leader in the church but also in education".

The Director of the Public Diplomacy Section told the boys that there will be opportunities for them in the future during the questions and answers period, even if the focus was now on the girls. She called on them to work with the girls and support each other in the development of Liberia. The DEO, Madam Duo was asked to discuss “Teaching” as a career. She admonished the girls to identify their skills, ability and knowledge and that their goals should match their careers. She regretted that of the nearly 50 girls matched with their career prospects in the program, none chose to be a teacher. “Who is then going to teach your children? ” she quipped.
Career Development Workshop

A one-day workshop was carried out by the Coordinator during session day November 15, 2011on "PLEASURE ON SALE". The workshop objective was to expand exposure of young girls to contemporary societal issues. It was facilitated by Mrs. Marietta Lahai, project Director of
Church Aid. She developed a handout illustrating careers that could be pursued in life and also social issues that are deepening the progress of young girls to include teen pregnancy, sex for grades, lack of studiousness in studies, etc.

Workshop Objectives

•

To provide in-depth information to beneficiaries so as to enable them understand the development and selection of a career

•

To broaden the minds of participants on income generation.

The one-day workshop benefitted about 60 (sixty) girls.
group with questions and answers period. Topics covered included Pleasure for Sale and Career selection.

Campuses in the world today, which is a peculiar market system that is in operation. Resultant effects of prevented view of pleasure being propagated and practice on campuses today and their various sizes and shaped to include: academic, emotional, spiritual, medical,
Discussion was done in a large

Pleasure for Sale talked about the danger of sexual pleasure on school moral, social and eternal implications.
They were told that career is a profession, occupation or job one wants to take up during their life span; therefore, they are to plan properly, have interest in what they want to do, in order to do it better regardless of family background. Girls were urged to have interest and goal to achieve anything they want to do. In selecting their career they should be optimistic.

The session was highly interactive. Judging from questions asked and comments made, the enthusiasm about a selecting a future career filled the room. Girls asked questions like “how to select a career? "How can you know if you are selecting the right career?" Etc. The students
were told to focus in their areas of academic strength or passion in life when considering a career for life.

Home Arts

On September 28, 2011, home art classes began. It includes making of "Margret made" Embroidery and sewing. Materials (needles, threads, cloths and scissors) for sewing and
embroidery are provided by Church Aid Incorporated as an organization’s contribution towards modeling the minds of tomorrow’s people.

Embroidery is used to decorate fabrics i.e. floral design embroidered on the edge of a pillowcase, throw pillow, chair back, etc. Embroidery thread is bought in skeins. The thread ismade up to six strands. Usually only three strands are used together unless embroidering on very thick fabrics. A needle (with a large eye) is used for embroidery. There are now 2 stitches been taught for embroidery - they are chain and satin stitches.

Chain stitch

 

Chain & Satin stitches

Margret Made is a handy work made from twine plaited. The twine is measured at a particular distance (28 feet long or depending on design and cut into 8 or 16 pieces, these pieces are tire and plaited. After the plaited it becomes like the below where flower pot is placed to decorate the home.

 Margret made displayed

Class sessions with the girls began after regular school hours, from 2:00p.m to 3:00pm
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays every week. Girls are put into large and smalls groups during class session in order to brain storm during discussion.

Girls appreciate the concept of the training program and agreed to put into practice what they have learned from the workshop and training sessions by teaching other girls within their school/community about the skills being acquired.

Sample of a pot

Girls are also taught basic Sewing. It is interested to note that most of them could not sew their own clothes whenever it is torn up. The program is enabling them to sew their own clothes instead of asking someone to do it for them i.e. a ripped uniform skirt or blouse. During this session, they are taught 2 stitches (running and back stitches).

 

SAMPLE WORK: During the sewing sessions, two (2) hand stitches (running and back stitches) are been taught to the girls. Most hand stitching is used for temporary stitching, for awkward places or for decorative work. Please see sample of girls work below:Back stitch
Running stitch
They were given guidelines for hand stitching:

•

Use a single thread

•
Do not use a long thread, it will twist and knot
Pin and tack hems and seams to hold in place for stitching
Begin and finish off securely to present ripping
Use a thimble to protect finger when sewing tough fabrics. Example denim
Stitches are worked from right to left unless left handed

Girls’ Career Club members embroidery class

The Girls Career Club members exhibit a true culture of cordiality and sense of belonging.

During sessions, project participants demonstrate their interest in the opportunities availed and work as teams, Girls from diverse backgrounds are now coexisting in various classes (9th to 12th Grades). They have learned to be their sister’s keeper, because they have learned to settle and
manage disputes peacefully amongst themselves. Another thing worth mentioning is the level of appreciation and enthusiasm shown by the participants for learning home arts to earn an income earnestly and decorate their individual homes.

Computer and Internet Usage

Computer literacy and internet usage was also launched for the period of 5 (five) months. This is one big area of excitement for the girls. Classes are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00pm to 3:00pm every week. Also during this session, girls are exploring the window software.

They have been taught first the components of the computer, and how to start the application on the computer. They are also being exposed to the internet – emailing, face-booking, etc. In the photos below, trainer illustrates to students how to click the start button and choose program on the computer. Due to the huge crowd of girls, they are divided into small groups during thesession.

Trainer teaching GCC member how to cut
Club members by group been taught
Other group of girls also been taught
Computer and internet training are the two most excitement of the girls. Everyone wants to learn the computer and be on face-book. As a result, a new Computer Technician has volunteered on staff in order to expedite this aspect of the training.

Methodology

'Group discussion and work, that includes brain storming, large and small groups’discussion.

Women Empowerment Program (WEP)

This sub-project was funded to help train women in project area in small skills to enable them make a livelihood; to provide awareness in the area of health education, voters’ education; to help beneficiaries learn how to read and write for the first time; and, to enable them rebuild their personal economies in order to undermine prostitution amongst them, etc.

Jenneh and Gbokolleh were chosen because they are communities were Church Aid had donesome work before. Both are deprived communities where people live on sustenance farming to sustain their families. Jenneh was deserted intermittently during years of civil conflict, just
like Gbokolleh. They are communities where people resettled and are rebuilding their lives.

The 3-month training here was agreed upon based on a proposal Church Aid submitted to the United States Embassy. Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield in 2009 encouraged high school graduates of New Water in the Desert Assembly high school to volunteer to help teach someone how to read and write. In 2010, the revitalized adult literacy program of Church Aid graduated the first 100 first time learners – all women, which served as a motivation for this project.

On November 5, 2011, Church Aid launched a 3-months small skills training in Jenneh Town,Bomi County. This project targets about 60 (sixty) women in Jenneh, Dewoin District, Bomi County and Gbokolleh, Careyburg District, rural Montserrado County in the area of Soap Making and Tye & Dye, Pastry, Sewing and Basic Agriculture. The training is supposed to help women in these communities to improve their livelihood economically.

Trainer been introduced by Acting

Project Director, Mrs.. Lahai
speaking to women at launching

Trainer being introduced by in Director in Jenneh

Keynote speaker, Madam Hawa Goll - Kotchi

Keynote Speaker, Hawa Goll Kotchi speak to women

Participants stand in reference to God as
Ms. Mary Kpaka, Supervisor, CWTC prayed

Training in Jenneh is slowed due to the women suggestion that they should be given training packages (materials and equipment etc) to work with after the training program for sustainability.

This is not a part of the program. Training in Jenneh has also been expanded to include the village of Golodee where the women are eager to learn and do small gardens. Training focus is in the area of Pastry and sewing. [CAI has also engaged the women of Karnga Village in Dowien

District in small garden sub-projects to complement their food production activities.

Training has also begun in Gbokolleh in the area of soap making, tie & dye and basic agriculture.

Adult literacy has been added to the program in this area. With the shipment of 200,000 packets of vegetable seeds from Seeds Program Intl [backed by Church of the Brethren and other partners], the women are also being engaged in small garden sub-projects as a means "to sow seed to fight hunger". Gbokolleh Town is along the Bensonville Highway but part of

Careysburg District. This town is surrounded with three other towns that include: Baso, Sumo, gbango towns. Out of these three towns the women come to be trained for the 3 months.

Launching of the program in town was carried out; presently, training is on going for over 30 women but the number is increasing because more women are inte IN SIGHT OF THE LAUNCHING PROGRAM IN GBOKOLLEH AT WHICH
DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF ITEMS WAS DONE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

CAI Chairman of the Board along with Town Chief

Chairman of the Board gave out Baby kit

Women listening to instructions given by
Tye& Dye session
during Tye& Dye session

 

Women demonstrating how to fold cloth during training session

Observations

The following observations have been noted:

1. Project beneficiaries appreciate the assistance of the United States Embassy
2. Women are also excited about the inclusion of adult literacy in the training program
3. Women in Jenneh are appealing for an end-of-training economic package to enable them
utilize the training acquired
4. Beneficiaries of the girls’ career club are excited about learning computer and utilizing
the internet especially emailing, face-booking and browsing.
5. Women participants are being encouraged to start small gardens individually and
collectively. Church Aid has imported 14 varieties of vegetable seeds with support of
Seeds Program Intl and Church of the Brethren
6. Copybooks, pencils are residue of supplies from Church World Service in New York
7. Teen mothers noticeable in Gbokolleh
8. Beneficiaries are appealing for project continuity and expansion to other schools and
communities

Recommendations

The project appreciates a review of observations noted during phase 1 of implementation

Conclusion

Helping school-going-girls plan in advance for the career they want to pursue in life and economically empowering rural women through skills training, etc, are important initiatives that need to be encouraged and strengthened. So far, the prospects look good. The United States Embassy in Liberia positively responded. The result is beginning to show up. Church Aid looks forward to continuing support for these initiatives.