Kumba Foundation Programs

Short Term

Five years initial Programs – Yearly budget $517,000

Demographics (60% girls 40% boys)

·      Vocational Education (70%) Grades 8-12

·      Nurse Training

·      Engineering

·      Architectural computer technology

·      Carpentry

·      Plumbing and electricity

·      Cosmetology

·      Sewing

·      Culinary Arts and Hospitality

·      (12 years old to 25 years old) Scholarship Funds

These programs will help the youth of Liberia graduate with certificates to enable them to join the world of professionals. The Foundation will provide a scholarship fund, to ease the cost of school fees for families in Liberia.

Liberia remains a country with high level of uneducated youthful population after fifteen years of civil conflict. As a third world society, many are now passionate about getting formal education through a proper schooling program (Academic/Vocational) as to enable them to join the world of professionals. Due to lack high inflation rates effecting both the private and public sectors, plus lack of employment; many parents cannot afford sending their DEPENDENTS to get the above.

About 70% of Liberia’s population are under the age of twenty-three years old. Most children in Liberia has a profession at an early age, without even knowing it. Why because theses children are breadwinners for their families. At the age of seven, these children are either selling in the street, working in a machine shop helping fix cars, or working in a sewing shop making clothes. Helping his or her parents in a restaurant selling food, without an education. These children are selling things like candy in the street to help pay their schools fees or buy food/clothes for themselves.

Liberia still has 15-year old’s in the third grade. Therefore, investing more into vocational programs will help the youth of Liberia.

Health Education (Age group- 10 years old and up)

·      Sanitary Pads - Schools play an important role in promoting a positive culture around menstrual health and building a supportive environment among the school community. The initiative aims to reduce the stigma of periods, making school a more inclusive place which will help students focus on their studies.

·      Provide students with the confidence that there will always be sanitary items available at school

·      Relieve female students of the stigma, anxiety and discomfort associated with menstrual

·      hygiene management so they can focus on their studies.

·      Ease the cost of living for families.

·      Sanitary items are a necessity, not a luxury, and the free sanitary pads and tampons in school’s initiative will support tens of thousands of students across Liberia.

·      Lack of easy access to pads and tampons can negatively impact on students' participation in sport and everyday school activities. Students may not be able to concentrate in class, feel comfortable or feel confident doing physical activity, or they may miss school altogether. By making sanitary pads and tampons freely available at school, we are one step closer to educational equality.

·      The use of sanitary items provided at school is entirely voluntary. Providing both sanitary pads and tampons allows students to make a choice based on their own needs, cultural beliefs, maturity and preferences.

·      The Kumba Foundation will provide schools with communication materials to increase parental and community understanding of this initiative

·      Helping schools in Liberia promote positive menstrual health

·      Contraception - Teaching Youth about Emergency Contraception

·      Providing information is an important element in any educational effort to reduce sexual risk-taking behavior. Although information alone won't change behavior, some basic knowledge of risks and possible consequences is essential. Young people are particularly at risk for unintended pregnancy since they are less likely to use protection and are often less experienced with birth control methods. For these reasons, they need to know about EC — what it is, how to use it, and where to get it.

·      This initiative will help STOP teen pregnancy in Liberia. Liberia has a high level of teen pregnancy.

·      Advocating for Changing Social Norms Associated with Condoms and Condom Use

·      Teaching students to advocate for issues related to condoms can begin to make changes that will help to make condom use a norm.

·      Developing a Parent Consent Form that Emphasizes Parental Involvement

·      Because parent involvement is important in consistent adolescent condom use, it is important for the educator to involve parents in their children's sex education. One way to accomplish this goal is to develop a parent consent form that encourages communication and emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in sex education.

·       (A lot of parents in Liberia, don’t talk much about sex education with their children, leading to high risk of teen pregnancy within the population)

·      As the fight for climate change continues, The Kumba Foundation Inc. will encourage students to think green.

placing recycling bins in school will be the first step in starting a dialogue on climate change.

Nutrition

·      Improving Healthy Food Options in School.

·      School is an ideal setting for children to learn and practice healthy eating. Most Liberian children attend school for at least 6 hours a day. Living in a third world society, most children come to school hungry. Due to high inflation rates affecting both the private and public sectors, plus lack of employment; many parents cannot afford to feed their dependents. The Kumba Foundation will provide breakfast to all students.

·      Eating school breakfast impacts school performance. Children who do not eat breakfast at home or at school are less able to learn. Hunger can lead to lower math scores, attention problems, and behavior, emotional, and academic problems. Making breakfast available to students will increase their energy and ability to pay attention in class.

·      Providing breakfast at school can also ensure that children are getting enough to eat. Children who eat a complete breakfast have been shown to work faster and make fewer mistakes in math problems and perform better on vocabulary tests than those who eat only a partial breakfast. They also show improved concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory and learning.

·      Beyond academics, children who participate in school breakfast programs show decreased anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity. The breakfast offered can improve a child’s overall nutrition by providing her/him with necessary vitamins and minerals and can reduce the risk of obesity!

·      Sports Awareness

·      Develop Leadership skills

·      Sports are well known for developing transferable leadership skills that can be used both on the field and in the classrooms. As students are being coached on these skills, this will lead to improvement in their decision-making skills. Encouraging students to not focus solely on themselves but to realize how their leadership impacts the team.

·      Develop Discipline

·      In sports, students will understand the discipline aspect which can transfer into their academics. In sports, students are taught how to be patient, prioritize their time, and focus on time management.

·      Better performance in Academics

·      Daily activities will encourage students to do more both on and in classrooms. Sports will aid in the memory and improvement of one’s mind.

·      Develop Social Life

·      As students participate more in sports, students will be exposed to other students thus increasing cultural awareness and improving social skills. As students become culturally diverse, they will be able to understand the impact of their voices.

·      Positive Mentoring

·      As students take on seniority roles within the teams, they are able to mentor younger athletes based on their knowledge and experience. This skill is important because everyone needs a mentor or a mentee that they can rely on for conscious advice.

·      Stay healthy

·      Focusing on the physical aspect, sports is known to improve cardiovascular fitness, mental health and combat childhood obesity. Sports will encourage students to be in tune with their health.

·      The Kumba Foundation Inc. will bring awareness to the benefits of a healthy student-athlete lifestyle. The Kumba Foundation Inc. understands the impact sports has on the body not only physically but mentally. Thus, focusing on both components’ students will be able to thrive both in the classrooms and on the field.

School in Liberia Demographics

How many schools

10 schools (to start out with)

Long Term

Full institution

·      STEM

·      Farming (Agriculture)

·      Building for health and Vocational School