West Point
West Point is located in down town Monrovia near the seaside. It has a population of over 75.000 people living in appalling conditions. There is no sanitation so the most of the area is infested with and smelling of faeces and urine, the beach is used as a toilet. Most of the houses are merely shacks built from whatever people find. Water is provided for by only a few wells, the water not being safe. Pools of raw sewage are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and malaria is a serious problem.
Rape of women and even children is common and frequently parents are taking money from the rapist of their child and are quiet about it. Many women have taken to prostitution as a way to support themselves. Gender-based violence is common. The use of drugs like heroine and cocaine, even by children, makes matters even worse.
The targeted groups for this project will be
- Children and youth
- Teenage school drop-outs
- Women and single female headed households
- Handicapped
- Ex-combatants
CARD wishes to address the problems of these groups by providing education, extra curricular activities like school gardening, peace building and hygiene clubs to children. The other groups would get formal skills training, livelihood, advocacy, health advice like hygiene, hiv/aids awareness. Women and single female headed households need agriculture training, micro credits to start their own businesses and vocational training.
To get a good insight in the situation in West Point, you can watch these VBS TV reports: