A second chance at school

Grand Bassa County, Liberia – Fourteen-year-old Melvin Davis sits quietly in his classroom at Harlandsville Public School. At first, he seems shy, but as he begins to talk about school, his face brightens.

“I didn’t feel good about being in school at first because I was out for two years,” he says softly. “Now I am happy to be back with my friends learning.”

Melvin’s story reflects the reality for many children across Liberia—where returning to school can mean overcoming challenges such as long distances to class, limited resources and family hardships.

Last week, Melvin’s school welcomed visitors from UNICEF Liberia, technical partners from the UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office, and officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The team traveled to Grand Bassa County to listen directly to children, teachers and communities about the challenges they face and how services can better support them.

The mission is part of a broader effort to strengthen integrated services for children at the local level, ensuring that education, health and child protection systems work together to support children’s wellbeing and learning.

For Melvin, returning to school was not easy. Being away from class for two years made him unsure about starting again. But with support from teachers and encouragement from friends, he found the confidence to continue.

His experience highlights why bringing services closer to communities matters. Many schools across Liberia still face shortages of classroom furniture, learning materials and teachers. Some children must travel long distances to attend school. For girls, barriers such as lack of safe sanitation facilities or access to health services—including HPV vaccination—can also affect whether they remain in school.

During the visit, the delegation was welcomed by Grand Bassa Superintendent Hon. Karyou Johnson, who emphasized the county’s commitment to making the new initiative work for children and families.

“As the first county to discuss how this integration will take place, we will give our all to ensure the programme works,” he said. “We thank UNICEF for always working with the people of Grand Bassa.”

The mission marks the first of five counties where UNICEF and the Government of Liberia are working together to strengthen coordinated services for children as part of the National Development Plan and the Local Government Act Implementation Plan (2026–2029).

Insights from the visit will help shape UNICEF’s new Country Programme for Liberia (2026–2030), which prioritizes decentralizing services, strengthening public financing for children, supporting adolescent girls and improving the use of data to guide decisions.

For UNICEF teams and government partners, listening to children like Melvin is at the heart of designing programmes that truly respond to their needs.

Standing among his classmates, Melvin now looks ahead with optimism.

His story is a reminder that when communities, government and partners work together, every child has a better chance to learn, grow and thrive.

#ForEveryChild