By Yana Tumakova
In Liberia, there is practically no road safety education, neither for adults, nor for children.
Also, educatory materials are lacking.
To cover this gap, the project Capacity Development in the Transport Sector in Liberia implemented by the GIZ has come up with the idea of compilation of an illustrative schoolbook for younger school students, focusing on basic traffic rules.
The objective was to develop and to formalize educative information on safe behavior on roads appropriate for children in form of a book containing a story, illustrations, exercises and handouts adapted to the local context and thematizing road safety problems in Liberia. The book should encourage the readers (mostly children 8-12 years old, school students) to be careful on the road, explain safe ways of crossing the road, to buckle up seatbelts as a passenger in a car, to wear helmets while riding a motorcycle and to wear bright clothes to be visible at night, among others.
GIZ is collaborating with various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, including Ministry of Education, Liberia National Police, Road Safety Secretariat, NGOs in the field of education (EDC, Rising Academy), LNP Road Safety Volunteers among others. These institutions will be using such a schoolbook in their education and awareness activities. Besides, certain parts of the book will be used in road safety awareness via social media.
Currently the production of 125,000 copies of the schoolbook “A Safe Way to School” for public schools is being procured and operationalized through the World Bank, which is partnering with and is being advised by the GIZ in the field of road safety.
Find the book here.
About the project
The project “Capacity Development in the Transport Sector” is being implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) and co-funded by the EU. In this context, the Project supported the Liberian Government in the development of the Road Fund Act and its operationalization, in development of a Curriculum and qualifying young people through Road Maintenance and Construction Training, in advising in the field of road safety management, awareness and enforcement.