NEEDORWEIN, Margibi – Trinity Children Center, a charity mission for child development, is appealing for support amid what it says is an increased number of children it is now caring for after the Ebola epidemic.

The outbreak, which struck in 2014, is said to have killed over 4,000 people and left behind more than 3,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Liberia. Margibi was recorded as one of the worst affected counties.

Trinity is in Needorwein, a community in Lower Margibi that experienced the country’s last outbreak of Ebola in 2015.

It was founded in 2002 by a Liberian philanthropist, Massa Gueh, and officially launched in 2016 to provide care and capacity development for children affected by Ebola, conflicts, and extreme poverty.

More than 120 children from nearby communities are getting free education at the mission school, from kindergarten up to sixth grade. At least 20 of the children reside at the center.

The school’s acting principal, Samuel Kpehe, told The Bush Chicken that the school has received support in the past from friends and partners in the U.S., however, support has dried up. Kpehe said the number of teachers teaching at the mission has dropped because of the delays in getting money to pay their salaries.

Some children at Trinity Children Center. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

He called on authorities of the Ministry of Education, officials of the Margibi county government, and philanthropists to come to the aid of the institution.

“We are calling for support and partnerships in any form that will help to address our challenges and to see the children healthy and happily learning,” he said.

Kpehe disclosed that at least four of the children on the mission were recently affected by measles.

According to him, a mini-clinic constructed on the mission is yet to be officially dedicated due to lack of drugs and basic medical equipment.

He also appealed to goodwill organizations and members of the public to contribute to the feeding of children residing on the mission.

“About two bags of rice is consumed here in a period of one-month,” he said.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah