The Center for Dignity and Inclusion (CDI) has launched a community-focused initiative aimed at addressing poverty, food insecurity, and the rising number of children leaving school due to financial hardship.
Titled “Restore Hope and Sustain a Child’s Education in Liberia,” the campaign connects household food production with educational support for vulnerable children, especially in rural and low-income communities.
The organization says many older caregivers-particularly grandmothers-are struggling to care for children under increasingly difficult economic conditions.
“In Liberia’s most vulnerable communities, many older persons struggle to feed their families while countless children, especially girls, are forced out of school due to poverty,” the initiative noted.
CDI further pointed out that many of these caregivers have little or no stable income and limited access to social protection, leaving households under severe pressure.
To respond to these challenges, the organization is introducing a program called “Seeds of Dignity,” a climate-smart agriculture initiative targeting 100 older persons, mostly women. The project will support backyard gardening and small-scale food production.
Participants will receive training, tools, and ongoing technical support to help them grow nutritious food and improve household livelihoods.
“Seeds of Dignity are a community-led initiative that transforms this challenge into opportunity,” the organization said, adding that beneficiaries will be equipped with practical skills and resources to strengthen food production at home.
A key part of the program is its self-sustaining funding model. A portion of the food produced and income earned by participants will go into a community-managed education support fund.
“A portion of the food produced and income generated will be voluntarily contributed to a Community Child Sponsorship and Education Support Fund,” CDI explained.
The fund, managed by the Center for Dignity and Inclusion in Liberia, will help support children returning to school, provide scholarships, assist vocational training for out-of-school youth, and create safe learning and recreational spaces.
CDI says the initiative is designed not only to respond to immediate needs such as hunger and school dropouts, but also to build long-term resilience within communities.
Its broader goals include improving household nutrition, empowering older persons with sustainable livelihoods, and ensuring that vulnerable children-especially girls, stay in school.
“Together, we can turn gardens into classrooms, harvests into opportunities, and community solidarity into lasting change,” the campaign emphasized.
The organization is calling on partners and donors to support the initiative, describing it as a locally driven solution that strengthens community ownership while reducing reliance on external aid.
