Discover the story behind Educate West Point
How it all started
Educate West Point (EWP) was born from a shared vision to transform the lives of children in one of Liberia's most underserved communities, which was severely affected by the two civil wars and the 2014 Ebola epidemic. To this day, the children of West Point struggle to access the education they deserve.
Our founder Musa Sheriff was born and raised in West Point and knows these challenges all too well. His education was repeatedly disrupted by the wars, and like many children in West Point, he had to abandon school to help his family survive.
When the Ebola epidemic struck Liberia in 2014, Musa became an ambulance driver on the frontlines in West Point. During this time, he met Mitch Mercer, an American Peace Corps volunteer with whom he responded to Ebola in West Point. United by their desire to make a lasting impact, Musa and Mitch continued working together after the epidemic, focusing on Liberia’s most underprivileged communities. Along the way, they met Katie Letheren, another international aid worker in Liberia at the time. Together, they realized that the key to long-term change in West Point was education.
From this shared vision, Educate West Point was founded in 2017, with the mission to ensure that every child in the community has access to quality education and with that, the chance to break the cycle of poverty.
Educate West Point today
Since then, we have taken meaningful steps toward improving education and opportunities in West Point, but our journey is far from over.
2019 - We started working with The Cova Project to address period poverty, ensuring girls no longer miss out on school due to a lack of menstrual products.
2020 - The Cova Response Team was established to provide ongoing support in West Point, helping girls and women better understand their menstrual cycles and take control of their health.
2021 - We proudly opened West Point’s first public library, creating a space for knowledge, creativity, and lifelong learning.
Over the years, we’ve supported approximately 100 children annually through our programs, celebrating the graduations of four Early Childhood Development (ECD) cohorts - a testament to the lasting impact of our efforts.