The Youth Movement for Collective Reaction (UMOVEMENT) on June 22, 2022 held a media engagement with a number of broadcast and print media institutions as a means of beginning a partnership and increasing publicity on the group’s programs and implementations.
The engagement is the first acquaintance, and was intended to drill the media through the activities of the UMOVEMENT—who they are, the work they do, how many counties they are found in and who are their donor partners so that the citizens are informed when the movement is carrying out any initiative in the country.
Speaking at the occasion, the Manager of UMOVEMENT’s SEAL project, Caroline L. Vah-Lord, said, “So we recognize the relevance of the media institution, and we have come to see how we can build that alliance with the media institutions in Liberia so that the work the youth movement is doing can be spread out. Our intention is to have a partnership with the media all throughout our project.”
According to her, “The UMOVEMENT is interested in developing media programs, and is currently relating to two media institutions to have an educational program, as we are also interested in Jingo and press conferences where we can speak of some things that the UMOVEMENT is doing as an institutions.
“The UMOVEMENT saw the need to help strengthen the education sector to buttress government’s effort as it relates to quality education in Liberia. We believe that a good education is the key to breaking the cycle from poverty.
“The objective of the UMOVEMENT is to advocate for children and women’s rights, to improve the living standard of community youth through basic livelihood activities, to facilitate access to sexual reproductive health services, including sanitation and hygiene services for children and youth at the local community level; to promote vocational training and credit mechanism for entrepreneurship and employment for adolescents; to advance health education and development for children and youth through sports and play activities; to increase the capacity of children and youth to prevent, reduced and cope with conflict and promote peace; to organize democratic initiatives to enhance peace promotion across Liberia; to provide psychosocial support for less fortunate children and widows; and to foster peace and unity among people and organize academic excellence programs among young people in various communities.
“UMOVEMENT was established to be able to provide quality education for young children in Liberia to better their lives and the lives of their families. The core program for UMOVEMENT for collective action are education, health, child protection, play-based learning and livelihood.”
Vah-Lord continued, “The mission of the institutions is to bring positive change among children and young people by using standardized and sustainable informing programs to be able to provide positive change among young people in Liberia.
“The goal is to ensure that children are empowered and are able to serve as agents of change.
“The UMOVEMENT is working with 40 schools presently across 5 counties. They are found in Bomi, Montserrado, Bong, Gbapolu, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Sinoe and Margibi counties under different projects.
“The UMOVEMENT is into several programs, including Give to Learn, where the UMOVEMENT sponsors Ebola orphans and less fortunate girls, and have up to 48 beneficiaries in five private schools. The UMOVEMENT is working in 5 schools in Montserrado and Margibi counties to provide full sponsorship, educational supplies, medical assistance and work with the care givers to help the kids to stay in school. UMOVEMENT also has an extra curriculum with the beneficiaries to provide sexual reproductive health education to them, and also involved in vocational training. These programs are being funded by the Founder and Chief Executive officer, Emmanuel, who has waived his salary to help less fortunate children from 2016 to present.
“The organization is working with these children to ensure that they complete their secondary education and extend to tertiary education, and to provide jobs after college graduation.”
She said the next project is called Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia (SEAL), and the goal of SEAL is to strengthen the capacity and collective effort of Liberian civil society organization to promote good governance and a vibrant society during this critical moment in the country’s development.
According to Vah-Lord, who is the Office Manager of SEAL project, the project will provide technical and financial input at key areas of UMOVEMENT, while supporting mainstreaming in daily operation and work.