MONROVIA – Mercy Christian Institute (MCI) is currently grappling with severe challenges that hinder its ability to provide education to hundreds of Liberian children. Located in the heart of Krutown, one of Liberia’s oldest slum communities, the school is faced with a dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of resources, making it increasingly difficult to sustain operations.
Serving at least 200 students from nursery to grade nine, MCI operates out of a makeshift zinc shack. The facility is devoid of proper chairs, teaching materials, and an overall conducive learning environment. The poor sanitation exacerbates the challenges, creating an unhealthy and unsafe space for students and staff.
A visit to the school on Saturday, March 22, 2025, revealed classrooms with sand and broken cement floors, making it a difficult environment for students to focus and learn.
Teachers are also facing financial hardships, with the highest monthly stipend for a classroom teacher being just L$4,000. As a result, the school has struggled to retain qualified staff. Initially employing 15 teachers, MCI has seen six resign in search of better-paying opportunities.
Adding to the financial strain, many parents are unable to pay the L$2,000 registration fee per semester, which has delayed the school’s ability to compensate its remaining teachers and staff.
“Even the student identification cards, which cost L$800 each, remain in the office because parents cannot afford them,” said Pastor Mercy Pyne, the school’s proprietress, in an interview with journalists. She further highlighted the school’s dire need for basic supplies, such as stationery for student evaluations and office tasks.
“We have to replace these zinc sheets every academic year because the salt from the sea corrodes them quickly,” she explained. “We also lack a proper playground and resources for recreational activities for our students.”
Pastor Pyne is urgently calling on the Liberian government, non-governmental organizations, and humanitarian groups to step in and provide assistance. “Many children attend this school without paying tuition, and even collecting the L$2,000 registration fee is a struggle. We started the 2024/2025 academic year with 250 students, but 50 have already dropped out because their parents couldn’t afford the registration,” she said.
The school also faces difficulties with broken furniture. While some chairs are damaged by students, the school is unable to charge a breakage fee due to the financial strain on families.
Pastor Pyne is pleading for financial support to replace the school’s zinc structure with a concrete building that would provide a more stable and conducive learning environment. “Our teachers are leaving because we cannot pay them, and we have no substantial revenue to sustain the school. The future of these children is at risk,” she said. “I am on my knees, pleading with the government, goodwill ambassadors, and institutions to help us secure funding to pay our teachers and improve our school.”
In addition to infrastructure and staffing issues, MCI is also hoping to launch a feeding program for students who often arrive at school hungry. “There was a lady selling rice here for L$100, but she had to stop her business because she frequently gave out free meals or extended credit that was never repaid,” Pastor Pyne explained. At present, only one vendor sells snacks for L$20, which many students cannot afford.
Pastor Pyne acknowledged that while a few teachers at MCI have received formal training, the school plans to sponsor more teachers for professional development when funds allow. However, the school’s history with teacher retention has been discouraging. Five teachers, after receiving sponsorship through a teacher training college, resigned immediately after graduation because the school was unable to meet their financial needs.
“This is the reality we face—people leave after we invest in them,” she lamented. “Now, we are praying for support to send new teachers to college so we can improve the quality of education at MCI.”
The challenges at Mercy Christian Institute reflect the broader struggle for education in Liberia’s underprivileged communities. Without urgent intervention, hundreds of children may be deprived of their right to an education, further perpetuating the cycle of poverty in one of Liberia’s most vulnerable areas.
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