Who coins this organization?
From Street to School has been founded in 2016 as a Liberian registered non-profit organization. It aims on education in its best and broadest meaning and includes charity for the most underpriviledged children. Parents, neighbourhoods and teachers of different schools are involved.
The board consists of chosen and members who share duties and responsibilities and contribute volontarily and actively to all processes that lead to activities and decisions . Johnny-Clement Kombo, catholic priest (Coordination), Jig Mamie, Medical Doctor (Vice), Mr Benjamin Kahn, Teacher (consultant), Mrs Gbour Wilson (accountance), Mr Varney Koiblee (Social Worker), Mr Joe Gbeie (Youth Activities Coordinator/Voice of the Voiceless).
If you visited Liberia in 2022 you’d find up to 150 young volonteers, teachers and students from different schools committed to a broad range of activities which aim at good and holistic ecucation.
Formal education is a fundamental requirement for any positive development. This is why in 2020/21 From Street to School has been responsible for 59 school-aged kids from 10-20 years to attend school regularly. In detail: paying school fees, sponsoring school materials, offering tutoring and mentoring of small neigbourhood- and school-mates clubs. Control of attendance, information-talks with teachers, principles and parents. From Street to School keeps survey over all 59. This means a lot in a country, where most of the poor rely on also poor relatives while their closer family make their living in rural parts of the country. Family-structures are commonly functionable for surviving but lack ressources for development and education.
From Street to School gives poor and very poor students home and hope and brings about new social relations.
Each student is invited to take part in Global-Learning-Activities, General-Knowledge and Skill-Workshops and Excursions. They learn how to share knowledge and become fond of observing their own seeds grow. For the workshop-setting we got sometimes a couple of days, but always a kick off with input-information and discussion. We continue with working-groups and end with presentations. The process continues with the next workshop, where some of the learners can already act as tutors and organizers. Four to five Workshops are held every year.
Permanent program:
- From Street to School- Day of the African Child – Celebration.
- Voice of the Voiceless: Student-Talks and Information – Clubs in cooperation with a number of schools: core issue child abuse, girls’ empowerment and drug abuse,
- Saturday – Radio-Show on Radio Maria: 1-2pm, Monrovia FM97,9.
- Yearly writing competition: up to 50 participants with open participation and celebration.
- A school gardening project is being born these days. It is a cooperation with young post graduated biologist and farming expert who has once been volunteer of From Street to School in Monrovia herself.
Besides all the above said vivid From Street to School activists are open to a lot of activities that bring about meaningful experiences for some students. Examples: school ends party, spelling bee competition, meeting on Sunday masses or otherwise spending quality time together or with people in Germany on Zoom.
Where does the money come from?
There is a reliable base amount of Dollars transfered from Germany to sustain From Street to School, Liberia. This money is funded by the members of From Street to School und Globales Lernen and the students in Pestalozzi-Gymnasium, München. The money collected at the Munich-School is a fixed budget. This is why students in Germany can concentrate on information and Global-Learning Workshops and can do real-life-talks about Liberians not as about the poor ones. We think we manage not to continue with common single stories because we are deeply involved in joint efforts of awareness. The money for student exchange and transcontinental communication comes from Germany. A growing part of financing is done from Liberians. There are some plans there for self-funded money. From Street to School has a big sponsor in the United Kingdom (Unicorn, Manchester) and some single persons in Spain and the USA. 2020/21 From Street to School handled a budget of 17 000 USD.
From Street to School meets increasing acknowledgement of government institutions in Liberia and even tried to convince the jury of Engagement Global with a sympathetic Global Learning Liberian-Style Rap. (Enjoy Orlando’s composition, Marie and Jones
For more information see and listen all across this website.
The roots of From Street to School go back to 2002-activities of German students learning in the government musical school Pestalozzi-Gymnasium in Munich.
Read more about From Street to School and Global Learning and its predecessor Pro Liberia e.V..