Monrovia – Sixteen-year-old Desire M. Roberts was known to be the female Mike Tyson, for her fighting habits in the Congo Town Back Road community, but the youth is now a transformed young lady, who is attending the Joy Giver International (JGI) after School program.
Report by Mae Azango [email protected]
Roberts is now teaching her peers good behavior.
“Before attending this after school program, I used to run my uncle video and I used to fight boys, girls and grownups and even jack them up when they refused to pay my video club money,” Desire said.
“People used to be pointing fingers behind me and calling me the rude girl who likes fighting whenever I passed, but since I started attending JGI, and becoming the prayer team leader, people in my community who used to complain about my fighting behavior, are now surprised of the change in my behavior. I have become a nice and gentle lady in my community.”
Apart from the Kids Educational Engagement project, (KEEP) run by Brenda Moore, that teaches kids reading skills, it is rare to see after school enrichment programs in the country.
But the Joy Giver International after School Program is a faith based program, sponsored by Ms. Margaret Brumskin and few of her family and friends in the USA and Liberia.
The program, run at the Living Hope Mission Church in Congo Town is catering to 17 schools that have children like Desire, in and around the Congo Town Back road community.
“Mrs. Brumskin can teach us how to sit like a lady because these days, many girls do not know how to sit; they would just open their legs when they are siting, and so it is important to learn how to sit like a lad,” Desire explains.
“She also teach us reading, comprehension and writing, because when I first came, I could not write basement and lower case letters, but since I have been here, I have learned it, so I am very happy to a part of this after school program.”
Student Desire M. Roberts who is in the 10th grade has been attending the program for eight months ago, and said she’s on the prayer team of the JGI.
She now helps impact good behavior and other skills that she has learned, onto other children. And is encouraging other kids to come to the after school program.
When asked as how she feels to see children selling on the streets during school hours, she answered, she said.
“Parents please take your girls from the street because it is on the streets that many of our girl friends are getting into drug dealing and other bad habits, and many parents are to be held responsible for damaging their children’s future.
Therefore, I am advising the parents to take their girl children from the streets because many bad things like the children having sex and getting pregnant and the parents won’t know anything about it,” says Desire
The brains behind the After School program, is Margaret Brumskin, who was celebrating a Christmas party along with the children during the closure of the program for the holidays over the weekend.
“I have been running this program since 2013 when we started in the Kpelle Town community.
The kids come from 1 p.m. and stay until 4pm. This program is not only a blessing to the kids but also a blessing to me too, because it is such an opportunity to teach these kids educational games, Arts and Craft and academic enrichment programs like reading, hand writing and math.
We also teach them the bible lessons through songs and games. I also have a volunteer from California and he will be leaving shortly and he really wanted to be a part of the closing and Christmas Party, so this is why we are having party at this time,” Said Mrs. Brumskin.
Mrs. Brumskin who was busy sharing food with the kids, making sure every child ate, disclosed that the program is a free.
She added that it is very expensive to run such project, but her donations are from family members and friends and that the kids just have to come and fill in the forms and start coming to the classes.
“Because this is a faith based program, we pray and God touch the hearts of people to donate, so this is how we run this program, so we are operating this program by faith. “
“It gives me joy to see smiles on the faces of these kids and Parents are free to send their kids to this program because it is a very good environment for the kids to learn,” she concluded.
JGI was established in September 2013 and operates daily as an educational not for profit organization that provides after school activities for underprivileged elementary aged children in Monrovia, Liberia.
JGI’s activities include arts & crafts, academic enrichment activities, educational games, snack and sharing of the Gospel to foster academic, social and spiritual development for vulnerable children in a safe and structured environment.
The purpose of JGI is to support the child, the family and community with hands-on accelerated learning opportunities. JGI serves between 42- 65 children daily from 1:30pm – 4:00pm.