By: Joseph Kerkula
Our Children’s Future, Incorporated (OCF), on Thursday, November 13, 2025, celebrated its Annual Program with a renewed pledge to empower adolescent girls through education, vocational skills training, and improved menstrual health management.
The organization emphasized that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remains central to its mission of helping young girls achieve financial independence across Liberia.
Giving an overview of the organization’s progress, Executive Director Josephine K. Barclay expressed pride in OCF’s growth and impact since its founding in 2018.
She said the institution was established to educate adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene and sexual and reproductive health—critical pillars for building confidence and improving academic performance.
Barclay noted that many girls continue to miss school during their menstrual cycle due to limited access to sanitary pads and inadequate menstrual health education.
“Without proper menstrual hygiene education and support, many girls miss school during their monthly cycle, which affects their academic performance and confidence,” she said.
Since its establishment, OCF has reached more than 6,000 adolescent girls through outreach, awareness campaigns, training workshops, and the distribution of reusable sanitary products.
The organization currently operates in eight counties, including Margibi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu, Bomi, Montserrado, Nimba, and Lofa.
One of the beneficiaries, Debora Pennue of Margibi County, commended OCF for supporting girls in rural and underserved communities.
She encouraged the organization to expand to more remote areas where menstrual health education and economic opportunities remain limited.
Meanwhile, partner representative Clarine Simpson of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Incorporated, praised OCF for its sustainable approach to addressing period poverty. She highlighted that financial and social barriers continue to limit girls’ access to menstrual products and hygienic facilities.
“OCF is setting girls up for success by giving them the products and education they need. The reusable pads are sustainable and environmentally friendly,” Simpson said. However, she stressed that many schools still lack clean water and safe, private sanitation facilities, an infrastructure gap she described as urgent.
Simpson reaffirmed AKA’s commitment to supporting OCF, noting that the partnership, which began in 2019, has made significant contributions to girls’ empowerment.
The event concluded with a call for greater collaboration among government agencies, civil society organizations, community leaders, and international partners. According to OCF, ending period poverty in Liberia will require sustained investment, community engagement, and coordinated national action.
