Bong Mines School
Kinder-Afrikas e.V. and its sponsors, members and donors have been providing schooling for children in the small community of Bong Mines in the hinterland of Liberia for almost 10 years.
Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world and the education of their children is an unaffordable commodity for many families.
Our aim is to ensure that these children have access to education and thus give them a start to a self-determined future.
300+ STUDENTS
24 TEACHERS
12 gR
Our school in the mining town of Bong Mines in Liberia has been educating pupils from kindergarten age to the end of year 12 since 2014. In two school complexes, we are able to cover the entire early education, care and schooling of around 300 children and young people aged between 3 and 19 years with a wide range of courses based on the American school system.
The school is a private institution that is wholly owned by our association. In addition to the local state school, we are the only institution in the wider area that provides education up to the state-recognized school-leaving certificate, comparable to the German Abitur.
Our dedicated team in Liberia and Germany has numerous ideas on how we can further improve teaching and everyday school life in order to further promote the quality of teaching and extracurricular interaction.
These include the (re)introduction of the School Feeding Program for regular meals for the youngest pupils, the establishment of a Health Awareness Club for all pupils and the development of the school's own library.
All costs for running the school, the school kitchen and construction measures are covered by donations and the sponsorship program.
1
School Life
The campus with the school building financed by donations is the heart of our facility. Each class level comprises around 25 pupils and has its own classroom. Teaching is based on the Liberian curriculum, which includes all the usual subjects in Germany, from science and mathematics to English, social studies and history.
Although people in Liberia speak many different languages, the language of instruction is English. The state final examination is taken after the 12th grade and in a total of 12 subjects.
2
Kindergarden
In the kindergarten and preschool, we offer Bong Mines' youngest children a safe space to learn and play together.
For the parents, their child's attendance at kindergarten or preschool enables them to pursue an activity that secures the family's livelihood.
Our School Feeding Program provided the children with a balanced meal three times a week. Unfortunately, funding has been difficult in recent years, so we are currently having to put the program on hold. We appreciate any contribution that will enable us to reopen the kitchen.
3
Our Teachers
Teachers are the be-all and end-all of every school. They are role models and educators and they accompany the pupils through a crucial time in their lives. We are very grateful to have gained such good, committed and warm-hearted teachers for our project in this difficult environment. Our teaching staff is broadly based and can cover all subjects in the curriculum.
We ensure that they are paid throughout the school year, including during the vacations - not a matter of course in Liberia - but we believe this is only fair, as our teachers should also be able to provide for their families during their time off.
Eindrücke aus dem Schulleben
Milestones of the school's history
2023
New Auditorium
Construction of an auditorium with a size of approx. 350 m². The construction has not yet been completed.
2020
Opening of the scientific laboratory
The science laboratory not only enables our pupils to try out the theory they have learnt in class in practice, it is also an important building block for the school to gain admission to a fully-fledged secondary school.
2017
More safety
Protecting the school grounds from unauthorised access is an important step in ensuring the safety of pupils and teachers.
2016
School Feeding Programm
The children in kindergarten and pre-school are offered a healthy and balanced lunch three times a week.
2015
Kindergarten and preschool
At the request of the parents, the school is expanded to include a kindergarten with a preschool, where the youngest children learn and play together in 4 classes.
2015
Better water supply
We are proud to be the first NGO to have installed a water pump in the school district. The pump not only continues to secure the school's drinking water supply, but also helps to safeguard the entire village.
2014
Opening of the school
After almost three years of planning and construction, the school in Bong-Mines was opened after the Ebola epidemic had been overcome. In the first year, 410 pupils were taught in grades 1-9. The construction costs of €50,000 were completely covered by donations.
2008
Founding of the organisation
After a study trip to Liberia, Munich students found the association ‘Kinder Afrikas e.V.’ with the aim of building a school in the community of Bong Mines to promote educational opportunities in the rural region of Liberia.