About Us

HIV/AIDS and Sexual Harassment in Schools Workshop. Careysburg, Liberia

Our Mission:

SHIFSD exist to reduce social causes of poverty through access to education and economic empowerment.

We believe that through ensuring access to education and economic empowerment, SHIFSD will be contributing to the fight against poor governance, human rights violations, gender disparity and the lack of resources which breed social imbalances and lead to abject poverty and conflicts.

We believe also that sustainable development is inextricably linked to the active promotion of Human Rights.

Who We Are:

First founded on the Buduburam refugee settlement in Ghana in 2000, SHIFSD helped hundred of women, children, and other camp dwellers offering the Adult Literacy, HIV/AIDS Awareness and Advanced Learning programs.

Since the ending of the 14 year long civil war in 2003, following developments that led to an election, Liberian refugees have slowly begun the process of moving back to their homeland. In 2008, the Buduburam refugee settlement was shut down and SHIFSD returned to Liberia, relocating their office in Monrovia. As Liberia struggles to become a peaceful and prosperous country, SHIFSD intends on continuing their mission to offer those in need sufficient recourses and tools to become self-sustainable. Liberia suffers from extreme poverty, poor resources, and HIV/AIDS among many other challenges. SHIFSD’s vision in Liberia is to work for a just community in which all people have equal access to education and resources.

Our core values are:

  • quality education
  • gender equality
  • self-empowerment
  • good governance and accountability
  • respect for human rights

Our thematic areas of intervention are:

Education

  • Providing basic education programs in the area of access and quality with focus on girls education
  • Providing functional Adult Literacy Programs with focus on women participation
  • Promote school effectiveness through policy monitoring and advocacy with emphasis on active community participation in school life
  • Undertake integrate youth and adults programs in the area of teenage skills training, leadership, gender, human rights and peace building etc.

Economic Empowerment

  • Microfinance/micro-enterprise support focusing women cooperatives;
  • Providing access to entrepreneurial skills training
  • Sourcing and distributing of re-furbished tools and sewing machines for entrepreneurial purposes
  • Technical and vocational skills trainging etc.