We hope your back-to-school weeks have been full of excitement and hope, even amidst the frenzy and the change. Hope International students will be filling their classroom seats beginning on September 11th!

In mid-August we received a few photos from Principal Mark Howe, showing the 100s of families lined up on registration day. Sadly, school fees throughout Liberia have continued to rise, increasing the barriers for students to attend school. During our last visit to Liberia in February, we worked together with the Liberian administrative team, to set enrollment limits, ensuring we had the space and resources to support each student. Hope International’s pre-K through 12th grade enrollments have been capped at 1,300 students. The Liberian staff continues to have to deliver the deeply sad news that we are at capacity. Their job is never easy, and these past few weeks, even more difficult. We will continue to do all that we can to ensure that as many students as possible receive their high school diploma.

On a lighter note, no one celebrates more beautifully than Liberian communities. On September 30th, the Class of 2023 will have their graduation ceremony. Graduations happen later in Liberia as the results have to be in from the country-wide testing of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). No one receives their diploma without passing. This will be a special evening and for many families, it will be celebrating their family’s first graduate. We look forward to sharing photos and stories with you!

May we acknowledge our deep fortune in the educational opportunities our country’s students have, while we continue remove the obstacles facing our Liberian friends. Thank you for making it all possible!