A Story of Change -The Transformative Educational Journey of Ruth Andrews
She Dropped Out Twice, But Now a Prospective Graduate
When Ruth Andrews had her two children before turning 18, completing high school was never part of her plan. Her mindset at the time before coming in contact with ActionAid Liberia was, "How can I be in school while my children are also in school?"
She later realized, after becoming a beneficiary of the Just and Equal Community (JEC) Project in her community, that this decision was a mistake one that could have long-term consequences not only for her but also for her two young children.
Ruth, a resident of Gobah’s Town in rural Montserrado County, had her first child at just 13 years old. By the age of 16, she had her second child, who is now four years old.
“I was only having children and never understood the importance of going back to school. If I had known what I know now thanks to the awareness ActionAid gave us I would have already finished school and had some skills,” Ruth said.
Ruth's town, Gobah’s Town, was once widely known for its high rate of female school dropouts every academic year. Before the introduction of the JEC Project, Ruth never considered returning to school. She felt ashamed to sit in a classroom with younger students who had watched her have two children in quick succession.
Everything changed when she was recruited to join the Girls’ Forum established by the project. Through her involvement in the Girls’ and Boys’ Forums, she gained in-depth knowledge and training on girls’ education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and basic human rights.
This exposure was life-changing for Ruth. She found the courage to return to school, putting aside her age and the stigma she once feared.
As a result of the JEC Project, Ruth and local town authorities have noticed a significant shift in attitudes.
“Every girl wants the town and their peers to attend their graduation, so girls are now going to school and staying until they graduate. Every home wants to have a graduate now,” they told the JEC monitoring team.
Youth and many other school dropout girls in Gobah’s town have embraced change and are back in school and successfully ending the academic year.
“If I had this awareness, I was not going to have a child until compete high school and enroll in a vocational school. I am grateful to ActionAid through the JEC Project for all the awareness and the things they taught us. Now I will be graduating from high school in October.” Ruth added.
As a member of the Community Based organization, Ruth has also joined other young people to encourage other school dropout girls to return to school.