First the dream, hard work to follow.
On my first contact with young West Africans — July, 2005 in Ghana — with their passionate optimism despite overwhelming illiteracy borne of a brutal, very recent past, I had the notion that, just maybe, we might work together to make a difference.
First step: show up, a lot. Suddenly, it’s 20 years later, with so many returns to the region a blur and so many lifted by our persistence and good work, fueled through the crowd-funneled generosity of our many supporters.
And so, in the fading light on a recent Tuesday, I again exit the Robertsfield terminal into the arms of Mother Liberia. Yes, back again, that charcoal-flavored stabbing heat. Jay takes it from here, NGO standard-issue Land Cruiser, into town over highway paved in more places now, rough going in others, standard-issue Africa. Yes, back again people, to chip away at a broken education system and replace its fragments with something meaningful.
Liberia’s education system is not just struggling; it is reeling from the devastation of 14 years of intermittent civil war (1989-2003) that shredded its infrastructure, decimated its teaching workforce, and left an entire generation without stable schooling. Over twenty years later, the scars remain: over half the population cannot read or write at basic levels, some 20,000 teachers to serve a youth population exceeding 1.5 million with a pedagogy that clings to rote memorization, borrowing material to recite it at exam, then handing it back, forgotten.
The 30 noble articles of United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) mean nothing in a dwindling spiral of illiteracy.
We are devoted to training instructors in a better approach, L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology (“Study Tech”), education geared to ability and competent application. Yet, such a powerful tool means little without things like a power grid that keeps the air conditioning going and students who start the workday already fed. Here, those are luxuries, not givens. And yet, every day, here are these Liberians, showing up and sticking through, with humility and humor. The results? Priceless, for example:
“After completing the ‘Fundamentals of Learning’ and ‘Study Tools for Educators’ courses, my career took an incredible turn. Armed with newfound skills in the fundamentals of learning — how to study for full understanding and application — I have a fresh perspective on education.
“I am not only empowered personally but able to mentor my fellow youth, helping them to develop and even improve upon what I have learned. I am determined to play a significant role in rebuilding our nation. By advocating for improved teaching methods, we will create a more effective and inclusive education system that benefits everyone.” FMG
There lies the real pay. And so, we show up.
See also,
● Breaking the Fever: African Literacy and Ebola Recovery (2016)
● African Literacy Campaign – 2025
Tim Bowles
March 7, 2025