The Zondo School Project
The Zondo School
People from the Zondo community provided countless hours of volunteer labor. They carried over 500 bags
of cement and 240 steel beams more than five miles on a jungle path. They hand-pressed bricks for the school walls, hauled cut trees
to the village, and planed boards by hand to make benches, desks, and doors for the classrooms. Final touches on the building have brought the total building cost to
about $50,000 U.S. These funds were provided through individual donations to Family of Hope.
Zondo School Update 2009
Over 500 children registered for the 2009/2010 school year. Barrett and Amy Fisher, board members of Family of Hope U.S., visited Zondo in July 2009. Photos and reflections from their trip are posted.
Principal Arthur Crusoe leads a staff of 19. He has over 25 years of teaching experience and pastored a Monrovian Christian Church for more than a decade. He has served as a school principal and administered a school reading program. His brother, Bill Dean, who attended Fuller Theological Seminary, recently resigned as the principal of the Buchanan (Liberia) high school in order to be the counselor at the Zondo school. School expenses total under $25,000 per year.
The Zondo school educates students from pre-kindergarten to ninth grade. Teachers also volunteer to teach evening classes for women.
Below you will find information on the beginnings of the school: the need for the Zondo school, the Zondo community, the students, the teachers, the board, and the cost of the project.
The Need
Liberia's long civil war is over, and rural residents have returned to their villages. The war and economic turmoil prevented almost all of the returning children from receiving any formal schooling. Many of these children were forced to participate in fighting; all were traumatized by the war. The need for holistic education which addresses both the children's emotional and academic needs is immense. Although Liberian law provides for free elementary education, the government is destitute, no educational materials are available, and school buildings are crumbling.
Zondo is a village in Grand Bassa County in central Liberia. History has shown that Zondo values education. The building completed in 2007 is the third time that the community has rebuilt the school. In fact, from 1963 to 1990, the school was run by graduates who returned to the village after obtaining higher education. The new Family of Hope funded building represents a crucial step in the restoration of the entire community. Local residents have provided untold hours of labor and other support necessary for the reopening of the local school.
The Students
Zondo's children yearned to go to school. Despite the horrors of the war, they are intent on learning. When Family of Hope's director visited with many area children in 2004, in the ruins of the old school building, one little girl proclaimed the importance of the ABC class: "Everybody, even the president, must go through the ABC class!" In order to succeed in the ABC class, the children must also have basic needs met. School days include counseling and Christian training for emotional and spiritual health. Family of Hope will work with other aid organizations to ensure that food, clothing, and basic health care are provided.
The Teachers
Zondo's teachers yearned to teach, but couldn't afford to—they hadn't been paid in more than three years. Trained teachers have rejoined the community, and are now using donated books and other supplies in their classrooms. Family of Hope donors in the U.S. provide the funds that are used to pay the teachers.
The Board
Every school needs a board to oversee it, handle funds, and assess student progress. This is the task of Family of Hope's sister organization. Family of Hope (Liberia) is a Liberian-registered, non-government organization staffed by a group of highly qualified volunteers. The board includes a judge, educators, and a physician's assistant.
The Cost
The cost that was estimated in 2004 to build, furnish, provide materials and staff the Zondo school for the first year is $70,000 U.S. The actual building cost was about $50,000, and each year of operation staff and materials expense is estimated at $25,000 U.S.
