Gifteen Tweh

Gifteen is 16.  She and her sister came to live in Conakry with their grandmother and uncle after their parents were both killed in the war in Liberia.  Their grandfather,  previously their means of financial support, died in the USA in 1999.  Since then the family have had to rely on friends to help support them. Nine of them live together in very cramped conditions. Their grandmother is very ill and can’t keep up payments on rent and tuition fees, and is unable to buy school materials or provide food every day.

Gifteen sometimes does ‘clean-up’ work in the community to try and earn money to pay her school fees.

“I am Captain of the school Kickball team. I love mathematics and would like to go to university to study accounting.”

Gifteen:  Receiving financial assistance has brought in some form of normality in our schooling in terms of tuition payment, obtaining uniforms and books for both my little sister and me.  This burden is no longer on our grandmother.  The school meal is often the only meal for all of us at home.

CRS:  Gifteen is a very brilliant girl.  She is the best in her class.