HEART OF GRACE SCHOOL
“If your plan is 1 year, plant rice. If your plan is 10 years, plant trees. If your plan is 100 years, EDUCATE CHILDREN!”
"Breaking the cycle of poverty through education in Liberia"
Our Mission:
To help Liberian parents raise and mentor selfless, patriotic Christian Leaders who are critical thinkers with the life skills to transform Liberia.
Change Agent Network, Inc which is a US based nonprofit organization prayed and fundraised the financial resources to build Heart of Grace School. They provided materials, professional advice, technical support, plus moral and spiritual support to the school and community. This “walk alongside” approach, combined with the valuable contributions of land, low cost school fees collection, and labor from the local community members, the school is moving towards 100% local self-sufficiency.
Despite all the recent allegations and challenges from COVID-19 that we thought created a dark cloud over Heart of Grace school, panic amongst parents and students. The enrollment of students in the school this year 2022, is very encouraging and huge. The parents and community members have continued to support the school. We have not had this kind of enrollment in this school since 2014 - 2015. Presently, we still have more students seeking admission into the schools.
2022 STUTUS UPDATES ON HEART OF GRACE SCHOOL
Grade Level: Nursery through Grade 12th
Current Students’ Population: 750
Number of Employees: 43
Graduation Date: February 26, 2022. Number of Students graduating from 12th Grade: 24
Number of students that took the compulsory West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is: 34
Number of students that took the compulsory West African Examinations Council Exam for 9th grade is: 9
New School board induction date: February 26, 2022.
School still awaiting full results from WASSCE
The Heart of Grace Elementary, Junior and Senior High School functions on a low cost fees payment system that offers underserved parents and students a unique model of acquiring education no matter their economic status.
The Heart of Grace School construction work started in 2008 and got completed in 2011. The school was successfully built with donor support and strong community involvement and commitment.
This school program was designed and put into place to provide solid Christ-centered Education to impoverished children and youths who live in under-resourced communities in post war Liberia, West Africa. We desire to raise up a generation of children who have a real heart for others.
The provision of food, clothing, shelter and other humanitarian materials to the less fortunate is very important. However, our ultimate investment and legacy is the empowerment of the poor to take charge of their own lives and destiny and give them a hand up and not a hand out.
Our goal in Liberia is to establish and fully equip affordable academic and skills training institutions in every county of the 15 counties of the country.
Education in Liberia was severely affected by the First Liberian Civil War and Second Liberian Civil War between 1989 and 2003. In 2010, the literacy rate of Liberia was estimated at 60.8% (64.80% for males and 56.8% for females. The country is starving for any educational advancement they can get.
All the kids today, if you ask them what they want to do, they say they want to go to school. Liberia, after fourteen years of civil war, is desperate to return to normalcy and part of that is getting hundreds of thousands of children that have been displaced, ex-fighters, child soldiers and orphans back in schools. However, considering the enormous challenges facing the government and people of Liberia, we believe it’s individuals like you and organizations like yours and ours that are ultimately going to play the greatest role in Liberia’s revival. Change Agent Network got involved with education in Liberia as a result of the desperate growing demand for educational opportunities especially for the little children in that country.
The school consists nursery through 12th grade. The school is operated in accordance with the National Education System of Liberia. The school year runs from September to June. Classes begin for the morning section at 7:45 AM through 2:00 PM and the afternoon section begins at 2:00PM through 6:00PM daily Monday through Friday.
Students of Heart of Grace School.
The population of the Heart of Grace School before the Ebola outbreak stood at 1,500 students, including students from the general public of our computer training center . The school official uniform color is navy blue top and khaki pant or skirt. The school built 14 new class rooms starting in October of 2010 and was completed by November 2011. However, the Heart of Grace School population in the 2014 - 2015 academic year stood at about 800 students. The sharp drop in student enrollment was due to the Ebola Epidemic in Liberia which was the epicenter of this deadly virus.
Heart of Grace School in Pictures.
The Heart of Grace High School is a product of the Changers School System (CSS) which was designed and put into place in 2008 by Change Agent Network, Inc. to provide quality and affordable educational and mental programs to less fortunate Liberian children. The Heart of Grace School is registered and accredited by the Ministry of Education of Liberia. The school is one of the recognized institutions by the Ministry of Education located at the New Breed Center, Rehab City View Community area in Lower Johnsonville, Left Bank District #2, Montserrado County, Liberia.
History of the Heart of Grace School.
Upon the return home visit from the U.S., Mr. Eric W. Wowoh (Executive Director of Change Agent Network (CAN) and Mr. Michael Johnson (US Board Member of CAN) in August of 2008, were heartbroken to see firsthand that about 100 deprived Liberian school children sitting on concrete cement bricks (cinder blocks) in a single, tight, dark room which was like 35x50ft in dimension with no chalk board/black board to write on. Looking at deplorable learning conditions for these children, both Eric and Michael were deeply moved by compassion to do something urgently to help change their learning situation by building them a proper school. Prior to this date, Change Agent Network was only involved with providing free computer and Information and Communication Technological training to Liberian children and youth. Immediately, Michael Johnson and Eric Wowoh who are both citizens of Liberia, wasted no time to make personal financial contributions of $2,000 U.S. Dollars each to jump-start the construction of the nursery and elementary section of the school.
Today, after 14 consecutive years of providing low cost quality education opportunity to thousands of underserved Liberian children, the Heart of Grace School has grown in the space of beyond a preparatory school to a vibrant school thereby ultimately serving as the mother of the Opportunity Network Liberia School System.
The Heart of Grace School is located on a one-acre property in Jacob’s Town Rehab, City View, Lower Johnsonville Community area. The one acre of land upon which the school is situated was purchased in the name of Mr. Desmond Ovbiagele who is one of the founding members of CAN and given out to the organization for development purposes.
Construction Photo Library of Heart of Grace School.
