Going Back to School 2005
MONROVIA, Liberia, 19 September 2005 (UNICEF) - In a symbol of hope for Liberia's children, UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is distributing supplies to nearly 2,000 public schools, benefiting more than 400,000 students and 12,000 teachers.
"Starting next week in Maryland County, UNICEF will be distributing 5,500 educational kits and each kit has enough school supplies for 80 kids for three months, including copybooks, pens and pencils, and crayons," said UNICEF Liberia Representative Angela Kearney, adding that kits also have teacher's supplies like chalk, erasers, and flipcharts. "We will be distributing the supplies to government schools in all 15 counties until late October. Every replenishment kit is being delivered to schools for free, thanks to the support of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the World Food Programme.
"We call on all of our partners, community associations, child welfare committees, parent teacher associations, parents, and concerned citizens to report to the Liberian National Police if they see anyone selling UNICEF school supplies in the markets," Kearney said. "The supplies are free, they are for the children, and lets make sure the kids get them for free."
To help announce the distribution of school supplies, and to celebrate the reopening of schools in this West African nation, UNICEF is distributing a 90-second video, "The Liberia We Want," to television stations here in the Liberian capital and video clubs across the country. UNMIL is also helping UNICEF copy and distribute the videotapes, which are also available on VCD.
"'The Liberia We Want' is an upbeat voices of youth message where scores of kids tell us what they want to be when they grow up, and what their dreams are for their country," Kearney said, "UNICEF is thrilled that after 14 years of war, Liberian kids in 2005 are again going back to school and dreaming of a bright future. Let's not disappoint them!"
About UNICEF
For nearly 60 years UNICEF has been the world's leader for children, working on the ground in 158 countries to help children survive and thrive from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for poor countries, UNICEF works to advance the Millennium Development Goals by supporting child health and nutrition, quality basic education for all boys and girls, access to clean water and sanitation, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of governments, businesses, foundations, and individuals. UNICEF is a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Patrick Slavin, Communications Officer, UNICEF Liberia, Cell # 06 538298, pslavin@unicef.org
MacArthur S. Hill, Programme Communications Officer, UNICEF Liberia, Cell # 06 516182, mhill@unicef.org