Shaping Liberia’s Future: James Kiawoin on Education, Youth Empowerment, and National Transformation
“Despair has never liberated anyone. I want young people to believe in this country and fight for it. It is that fight that can propel people to real change.”
In honor of LEAD MFA’s Program Advisor, James Kiawoin’s recent appointment to lead Liberia’s first Youth Advisory Council, our Communications Associate, Daniela had a conversation with him about the country’s education development, LEAD MFA’s role as an educational institution, and what he hopes to accomplish with his new role.
Kiawoin joined LEAD MFA in 2016, after being introduced to its founder, Will Smith. Drawn to its mission, Kiawoin volunteered until 2019 and then became the Program Advisor, helping with expansion and operations. Kiawoin has focused on supporting LEAD’s efforts in Liberia ever since.
In our conversation, Kiawoin discusses what he sees as the biggest challenges facing Liberia’s education system, particularly the troubling reality of low learning outcomes. He emphasizes that improving both access to and quality of education is crucial to changing perceptions and ensuring that more children are not only in school but are also learning effectively.
Kiawoin shares his vision for scaling innovative educational models and creating systemic change through the efforts of organizations like LEAD MFA, which is dedicated to providing high-quality education and leadership training to young Liberians.
Daniela: You've been deeply involved in Liberian education through multiple roles, including Program Advisor for LEAD MFA and your work with the Luminos Fund. From your perspective, what are the most pressing challenges facing education development in Liberia today?
James: The most pressing challenge is low learning outcomes. About 90% of students in primary schools in Liberia are achieving below our own national standards in reading and math. If you compare them to their age cohorts in other parts of the world, the scale of the learning crisis is even more disheartening.
There are several reasons for our learning crisis and we know them well—inadequate training for teachers, high levels of teacher absenteeism, limited school monitoring. These low learning levels persist beyond the early grades, and young people are caught in a cycle where they are in school, but not learning.
Even though access to education has improved, we still face a major issue of children being out of school. In some cases, children are not in school due to a lack of financial resources or because their communities lack schools or enough teachers to support them. However, another factor that could be contributing to this issue is that parents don’t feel that schools are going to help their children learn, and thus don’t encourage their enrollment.
This perspective is often not talked about when it comes to the education issues that Liberia faces. We need more nuance around this. In order to tackle our low levels of student enrollment, we must not only increase the access to education, but also improve its quality in order to change people’s preconceived notions.
Daniela: It seems Liberia is actively working towards improving their education system. Where do you see opportunities for meaningful progress?
James: We cannot elevate everyone or build a prosperous future with so many children left behind, out of school. But there is hope. There are many Liberians who are waking up to the reality that children are not learning and, as a result, are proposing new models.
There are many who have studied or lived abroad and seen what great schools and a great education system looks like and are bringing some of these ideas back. However, these conversations and innovations need to be scaled and enter the mainstream, so that many more children can be reached.
Youth issues are often treated as an afterthought in Liberia’s national agenda. My goal is to change that and ensure young people are seen as key drivers in shaping the country’s future.
Daniela: Could you share specific examples of how LEAD MFA’s approach addresses these educational challenges? What unique solutions has the program developed?
James: LEAD MFA has been a leader in the Liberia education sector from day one of its existence. I think the fact that the school was started with the goal of being a great, transformational school dedicated to solving challenges in Liberia has really helped us focus on programmatic innovations to produce great students.
There are several schools opening across Liberia, but their pathway of creating change is not very clear or even articulated–there is no vision for what they hope to become. This sets LEAD MFA apart. All across campus, from students to teachers to staff, the vision is clear: we are producing leaders to transform Liberia.
LEAD MFA addresses several of the challenges I outlined earlier. They understand that access is important and that’s why they go across the country to find deserving students. They provide their students with a world class education that is committed to developing the whole child.
But they know access alone is not enough. LEAD MFA is very focused on improving learning outcomes and is very data driven. The academic standards are much higher. I always joke that I don’t think I would have made it at LEAD MFA because the standard for passing is higher than at most schools.
When these students come to LEAD MFA, they are offered practical, real-world skills. Students are taking computer classes, engaging in thoughtful discussions in their leadership courses, gaining exposure to real life issues by interacting with guest speakers. There is also a big focus on post-secondary transition. In most schools, their obligation to their students ends at graduation, but we approach the leadership process as a life-long journey. We support students to access college because we know Liberia needs well educated leaders and we keep up with these students to connect them to other opportunities that could enhance their leadership journey.
Daniela Your recent appointment to lead Liberia's first Youth Advisory Council is really exciting, congratulations! What vision do you have for this role, and what key policy recommendations do you plan to prioritize in your discussions with President Boakai's administration?
James: I am excited to be of service to my nation and to support the President’s agenda to empower young people. It is truly wonderful to have a seat at the table and be part of this policy making process. While I hope to accomplish a lot in this role, my biggest goal is to expand the national perception of what is considered “youth issues” and the role of young people in shaping the country’s future.
In Liberia, oftentimes, youth issues are not integrated into the broader national vision. Youth issues are an afterthought and there is no comprehensive reform agenda. Many young people have internalized this perception of them and willingly play along. I hope to change that!
I also want to prioritize youth unemployment, but not through quick impact or ad-hoc public work projects. Instead, we must find ways to improve job readiness and build up the skills of young people. This comes back to education and leadership development in young people, which is something that organizations like LEAD MFA are tackling through their programs.
Daniela: As someone actively shaping policy and education in Liberia, what advice would you give to emerging young leaders?
James: The most important advice is to believe that Liberia’s best days are ahead. It is hard to carry this message around in the face of so much despair, but despair has never liberated anyone. I want young people to believe in this country and fight for it. It is that fight that can propel people to real change. So many young people are disillusioned at the current state of affairs, but so many are also leading ventures and initiatives to tackle our shared problems. I admire their work and dedication.
The scale of global problems requires extraordinary efforts and time to generate solutions and to change mindsets. This hard work can take the form of deepening your expertise in the issues you care about, volunteering for nonprofits, thinking about the next venture that solves a critical need, and so on. There is a prevailing narrative that young people are lazy. We need to dispel that by working to solve big challenges.
Daniela: Could you share an experience that helped shape your own leadership philosophy?
James: My leadership experience was significantly shaped by my time at the African Leadership Academy (ALA). Their relentless pursuit of excellence, belief in the power of young people as change-makers, and obsession with Africa’s transformation completely transformed how I thought about leadership. ALA taught me about servant leadership and to be laser-focused on creating solutions and lasting impact. This philosophy continues to guide my work and it was one of the reasons I got involved with the LEAD network way back in 2016. I was drawn to the vision of creating ethical leaders who will then go on to transform their communities and the belief in the power of young people as drivers of change.
James Kiawoin’s emphasis on foundational learning, skill development, and youth engagement offers a roadmap for addressing the current learning crisis in Liberia’s education sector. With his appointment to the Youth Advisory Council, James is poised to help shape a future where youth are not only included in national conversations but are at the forefront of Liberia’s transformation.
By championing policies that enhance education quality and foster leadership, Kiawoin is laying the groundwork for a new generation of Liberians who are not just educated but equipped to lead with vision and purpose. As LEAD MFA continues to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow, Kiawoin’s work serves as a powerful example of how education and youth empowerment can be the catalysts for national change.
This interview was conducted by Daniela Bolanos, LEAD Edu’s Communications Associate