Liberian Girls Education Mentoring Scheme
Changing the narrative one girl at a time
Liberian Girls Education Mentoring Scheme
Changing the narrative one girl at a time
About Us
How it all started
Years after leaving Liberia during the civil war, founder and CEO, Eliza Johnson, wanted to give something back to her home country beyond simply sending money back home. But with a growing family in the UK, taking time out to start something in Liberia needed a bit more than mere wishful thinking. In conversations with her group of friends and relatives overseas, it became clear that they all shared the same desire of wanting to contribute towards the growth of Liberia - albeit living far from home. And while on an early morning walking meditation during the 2020 pandemic, the vision of a mentoring scheme for girls was awakened.
What started as a phone conversation to a Liberian young woman seeking financial help in setting up a small market stall selling sanitary products, led to the first mentoring session that would lead on to the birth and formation of LiberianGems.
What we do
At LiberianGems, we work to empower underprivileged young women- post secondary school - in Liberia by giving them the tools they need to become skilled, independent, and contributing members of their wider communities.
Young women accessing the scheme must meet these criteria:
- Have no or limited financial means of accessing further education or training.
- Have and and can evidence good level of academic achievement or ability
- Be able to demonstrate commitment to further education and training.
- Have and can demonstrate good work ethic.
- Must share the ethos of the organisation and that girls and young women are an integral part of Liberia’s future success.
How we do it
We match young women (mentees) with experienced and successful mentors in Liberia and overseas.
Help young women seeking opportunities to access further education, up-skill or learn a new trade.
Testimonials
Vashti - Home economics studies
Vashti - Home economics studies
Vashti - Home economics studies
"First of all, I want to say thank you to LiberianGems. You people have help me a lot and still helping me in my vocational school.
To attend this vocational school that I am in right now, it's not easy, especially going for two years in this school, the school fees paying for every semester, materials fees, and transportation, is not eas
"First of all, I want to say thank you to LiberianGems. You people have help me a lot and still helping me in my vocational school.
To attend this vocational school that I am in right now, it's not easy, especially going for two years in this school, the school fees paying for every semester, materials fees, and transportation, is not easy, but this organization Liberian Gems continue to help me in these areas, They always sending me the school fees, sending me materials fees and even transportation, am so happy and really blessed to be part of this organization.
Thank so much!!
When I graduate from this vocational school next year by God help and power, I want to open a business area where I will be able to fix different different foods to sell, and be sewing other fashion design, etc.
So I am trying to find a selling spot or place to do my business and I need to get other things or materials to start the business..."
Eliza - Nursing Student
Vashti - Home economics studies
Vashti - Home economics studies
... I am so grateful I don't even know what to say. All I can say is that God bless LiberianGems and may the work of your hands never fail. I am so happy and I promise to do my best, put in my time and effort and make you all proud of me.
Ida - rice retailer mentee
Vashti - Home economics studies
Ida - rice retailer mentee
I want to thank LiberianGems very much for what you did for me. May God bless you in anything you do. I sold my first 10 bags of rice and it gave me 12 bags. Now I am so happy right now. Thank you very much.
I know one that one day I will be having a big rice store by the grace of God. Once again, thank you big sister.
How you can support us
Join
There are a number of ways you can join us in bringing hope to young women in Liberia. This could be through your time, in training and mentoring, your financial support in funding a young woman's studies or providing learning resources, making regular or a one-off contribution; as well as your expertise in fund raising.
Volunteer
LiberianGems is run by volunteers who also make monetary contributions to the operation of the scheme.
We are in the process of sourcing grants we could apply for, so if this is your area of expertise, we would love to hear from you.
If you have time and are able to dedicate some to regular phone catch-ups with our mentees in Liberia, please do get in touch.
Donate
If you are able to and would like to sponsor us financially. you could do one of the following:
make a regular donation of any amount
make a non-off donation of any amount
offer to fund a termly or yearly fees for a mentee in education
offer to fund the cost of learning resources for a mentee in education
offer to fund the cost of school travel fare for a mentee.
Meet the Team
Founder & CEO
Head of Advisory Board
Head of Advisory Board
Eliza Harris Johnson - fled Liberia in 2000 and settled in the UK during the Civil war. She has over 20 years of further education teaching, with experience in English language and Employability teaching and mentoring new teachers. Eliza enjoys teaching and is passionate about supporting and mentoring young girls and women into harnessin
Eliza Harris Johnson - fled Liberia in 2000 and settled in the UK during the Civil war. She has over 20 years of further education teaching, with experience in English language and Employability teaching and mentoring new teachers. Eliza enjoys teaching and is passionate about supporting and mentoring young girls and women into harnessing their potentials and using their skills to impact their lives and the world around them. She is the founder and director of LiberianGems.
Head of Advisory Board
Head of Advisory Board
Head of Advisory Board
Soria Kajue-Mwara - running for their lives, Soria left Liberia with her family and at a very young age following the 1980 coup. She is based in Manchester where she has been practising law for over 20 years and has a passion for academic development. She is our lead mentor for law and the social sciences and takes care of all our legal matters.
Senior Mentor
Head of Advisory Board
Senior Mentor
With over 4 decades of working in education, establishing schools, leading on educational and humanitarian interventions in Liberia, fostering, mentoring and raising children, including her own, Malia (or Mae Harris as the young people call her), comes with a vast amount of experience which is an invaluable tool for the mentoring scheme.