-Historic Ashmun Street Landmark Destroyed; But Outreach’s Founder’s Commitment to Youths ‘Not Destroyed’
MONROVIA, Liberia – A devastating inferno on Friday, December 5, 2025, reduced the Obaa’s Girls Educational Outreach—founded by celebrated Liberian singer and social activist Miatta Fahnbulleh—to rubble. The blaze erupted at the organization’s Ashmun Street compound in central Monrovia, destroying one of the city’s last surviving historic wooden structures.
According to community residents, the fire began in the evening and spread rapidly through the plank walls and wooden floors of the old building, which also housed a printing press. Despite frantic attempts by locals to extinguish the flames, eyewitnesses described the inferno as “ferocious,” quickly overpowering efforts to contain it.
The building was more than just a school. It was a cherished relic of Liberia’s architectural heritage, one of the few structures dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. It once served as the home of iconic Liberian lawyer and statesman Cllr. Nete Sie Brownell. Its historic charm made it a familiar attraction for both visitors and daily commuters along Ashmun Street.
“Obaa’s Girls Education Outreach has not just lost a building. It has lost a big piece of history,” a long-time resident of Ashmun Stree, Robert Gardea, lamented as he watched the ruins still smoldering.
Witnesses recounted seeing smoke billowing from the eastern end of the structure before the flames erupted.
“We saw the smoke oozing from the building, and suddenly the fire began to blaze,” another resident explained.
Community dwellers rushed to respond, hauling sand and discarded water in a desperate effort to save the building. Many wept as the flames consumed the structure, recalling the countless children who passed through its doors for education, skills training, and mentorship.
“This breaks my heart,” said Harry Sackie, whose daughter attended the school from 2007 to 2010.
Although the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) was alerted, the building had been completely engulfed before fire trucks arrived on the scene.
The National Fire Service is investigating the cause of the fire.
About Obaa’s Girls School
Established in 2005 by Miatta Fahnbulleh, fondly known as Aunty Miatta, Obaa’s Girls Educational Outreach provides free or scholarship-based learning opportunities for underprivileged girls. Known for their distinctive tie-dyed purple skirts, students of the program are typically girls whose education has been interrupted by poverty, conflict, or social hardship.
The institution offers free education, uniforms, textbooks, and essential learning materials, enabling young girls to reintegrate into the classroom and complete their schooling. By 2007, at least 38 students had already benefited from scholarships and academic support.
With the building destroyed, community leaders worry that ongoing learning programs may be disrupted. They are calling for swift intervention to restore the school and ensure continuity for the beneficiaries who depend on its services.
Yet, despite the loss, Miatta remains resolute.
“The fire may have gutted our building, but it has not destroyed our commitment to the youth and children of the community,” she assured.
