Developing Community

The Dougbe River Presbyterian School of Liberia was born out of the collective support of 12 villages. In a region and country still recovering from a succession of civil wars, such collaboration and shared effort are themselves a cause for celebration. The school responds to this support by opening its campus as a central gathering place for the villages and committing to the education and feeding of children from those communities free of charge.

In addition, a parent teacher organization comprised of parents from all the communities advises the school administration and executive director regarding school programming and community needs. The Board takes this feedback into consideration as it examines and plans for the strategic needs of the school. In the end, the school and its operations are intended to be a partnership with the villages, not a mission to them.

A clear example of this was the redirection of funds while the school was closed during the Ebola crisis in 2017. Money from school operations was used for the construction of multiple handwashing stations in each village, and workshops were held on campus to educate children and adults on hygiene and community health. Future plans for community health services include the creation of an onsite dispensary for free or heavily reduced feminine hygiene products and other basic healthcare needs, as well as the establishment of a clinic on the campus.