Monrovia – The Gbowee Foundation Africa, a non-government organization headed by Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, was established in 2012 with the aim of fostering girls’ education in Liberia.
Report by Kennedy l. Yangian – [email protected]
Since its establishment, the foundation has been catering to girls’ education by providing scholarships for high school students and at universities in the country as well as foreign university.
The foundation is in its fifth year of existence and is now preparing to hold celebrations for its fifth anniversary in Monrovia which begins from February 16-18, 2017.
In a FrontPageAfrica interview ahead of the anniversary celebrations, the Administrative Director of Gbowee Foundation Madam Ansahta Garnett said the occasion will be graced by Ghana’s former Education Minister, Ama Ata Aidoo, and some women activists.
Madam Ama Ata Aidoo is a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academician who served as Minister of Education in Ghana under the administration of former President Jerry Rawlings.
In 2000, she established the Mbaasen Foundation to promote and support the work of African women.
The Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa Administrative Director indicated that the foundation has decided to invite Madam Aidoo because she’s an advocate for the promotion of women issues in Africa.
Garnett said the occasion will be embedded with a fund raising rally and dinner with tickets already on sale at the cost of US$75.00
Speaking on the activities of the Gbowee Foundation for the last four years, Madam Garnett said the foundation has been operating on three pillars which are girls’ education, leadership and working with the community.
“What we are looking forward for is that give girls the opportunity to do what the boys can do,” said Garnett, adding that the mission of the foundation is to educate women to make a difference in their communities.
Commenting on the benefits of the foundation’s scholarship, Madam Garnett also stated that the foundation looks forward to accepting students who passed the West Africa Exam (WAEC) and earned a grade point of three and above.
She said there are 73 students on the scholarship scheme, stressing that under the foundation’s new arrangement it has decided to incorporate few boys into the program because they too have a role to play in society.
Commenting on the challenges and achievement of the Gbowee Foundation Africa in the last four years, Garnett said she’s proud of the students that have gone through the program and are now in society making meaningful societal contributions.
“All of what we are trying to do is to make a change in the country and that of Africa when it comes to girls’ education,” she said.
She clarified that the foundation is not looking for profits in whatsoever it does, but rather wants those benefiting from its gesture to go back in the community and make a difference.
Also on the issue of challenges facing the foundation, Madam Garnette also indicated that the foundation needs finance for its operations, but because of the current economic condition of the country, it is difficult to solicit funding.
She said the head of the foundation; Madam Gbowee is out in the diaspora working to scout out funding to ensure that the foundation meets its ultimate objective.