Gender Ministry Transforms Girls’ Hostel In Bong: From Darkness to Hope

GBALATUAH TOWN, Bong County — Adolescent girls residing at the Victoria A. Tolbert Girls’ Hostel in Gbalatuah Town, Bong County have praised the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for improving their living and learning conditions, saying the interventions have restored their hope for a better future. By Patience M. Jones The girls said the installation of solar lighting, renovation of the hostel building, improved living conditions and provision of basic services have made it easier for them to study, live safely and pursue their education without some of the challenges they previously faced.

The improvements were highlighted Tuesday, October 27 during a visit by Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie, who interacted with the students and encouraged them to remain focused on their education, describing them as the future leaders of Liberia. Before the Ministry’s interventions, the students said the hostel was frequently dark, making nighttime studying difficult and exposing them to injuries while moving around the facility. The girls also described the difficulties they experienced before gaining admission to the hostel, including financial hardship, interrupted schooling and limited access to basic necessities. For some beneficiaries, the facility has become more than a place to live; it represents an opportunity to obtain an education that might otherwise have been out of reach. Students Recount Their Struggles Deborah D. Wamah, a 10th-grade student, said her admission to the hostel had significantly changed her life after she lost her mother at age 10 and her father struggled to provide for his five children. Wamah explained that her family’s financial difficulties made it challenging for her to continue her…