Risk to Resilience

Education helps children in this community move from vulnerability toward stability and opportunity.

Zoe’s Legacy and the Path Forward

Zoe Robinson was born in Liberia and, as a child, fled the country with her mother during the civil war. She later settled in the United States, but her faith and her connection to Liberia never faded. Even while building a life abroad, she remained closely tied to her homeland and to the belief that education was essential to rebuilding communities affected by conflict.

In 2017, Zoe returned to her family’s property in Liberia and encountered children in the surrounding community who were unable to attend school simply because no school was available to them. In response, she converted an existing building into a free Christian school, naming it the Melvin B. Tolson School. What began as a modest effort quickly became a place of learning and stability for children who otherwise had no access to education.

By 2019, the school was serving approximately 100 students. During the COVID-19 years, however, the building deteriorated and enrollment declined. By 2022, fewer than half of those students remained. The need had not diminished, but sustaining the school without reliable support had become increasingly difficult.

Throughout these challenges, Zoe held firmly to the belief that education was not only a path forward for individual children, but a foundation for long-term stability, opportunity, and hope within the community.

Zoe had big dreams but limited means

Zoe’s vision for the school was clear, but the resources available to sustain it were always limited. She relied on personal savings, small donations, and faith that the work would continue, even as the needs around her grew.

Zoe Robinson

In this short video, Zoe’s daughter reflects on the early years of the school and the determination it took to keep it going. She shares how the school began, what it meant to the children and families it served, and why her mother believed so deeply in its purpose.

The History of the Liberian School for Needy Children

The Liberian School for Needy Children (LSFNC) was established in August 2022 to help ensure the long-term stability of the school Zoe had started. After learning about the challenges the school faced, Paul Sardelli worked with Zoe to create a U.S.-based nonprofit that could provide structure, oversight, and sustained support.

From the beginning, LSFNC focused on strengthening the school’s foundation by funding teacher salaries, supporting a daily feeding program, and raising resources to ship a container of donated books for a future school library. Its role has been to support the school’s mission while helping ensure continuity and accountability beyond any single individual.

Key moments

2017
Zoe Robinson returned to her family’s property in Liberia and opened a small, free Christian school for children who had no access to education. The school was named the Melvin B. Tolson School.
2019
The school grew to serve approximately 100 students, becoming a steady presence in the community and a place of learning and care for children from nearby families.
2020–2021
During the COVID-19 years, the building deteriorated and enrollment declined as resources became increasingly strained.
2022
Enrollment dropped to about 50 students. That same year, the Liberian School for Needy Children (LSFNC) was established to help provide structure, oversight, and long-term support.
Late 2024
Zoe Robinson passed away, a loss felt deeply by her family, students, and community.
2025
LSFNC partnered with Hilltop Schools. The school was renamed Zoe Robinson Academy, and renovations began with the goal of restoring enrollment and strengthening the school’s future.

Where the school stands today

After Zoe Robinson’s passing, the responsibility to carry her vision forward became shared. In 2025, the Liberian School for Needy Children partnered with Hilltop Schools to provide on-the-ground leadership, educational expertise, and day-to-day management of the school.

The school was renamed Zoe Robinson Academy in her honor, and work began to restore and strengthen the learning environment. Renovations began, enrollment is being rebuilt, and the focus is now on creating a stable, well-run school that can serve children in the community for years to come.

To learn more about the school as it operates today — including facilities, programs, and daily life on campus — visit the School Page →

Leadership rooted in experience and trust

Hilltop Schools is a Liberian non-governmental organization established in 2019 and based in Monrovia. It serves as the trusted local partner responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of Zoe Robinson Academy, drawing on experience from overseeing 18 community-based schools across Liberia.

Through its work, Hilltop Schools supports children’s education while safeguarding their well-being, with a focus on learning, health, and protection within the school community.

Serving children across Liberia

Hilltop Schools has served more than 3,300 children across 18 schools throughout Liberia. Its work spans both its own schools and government schools operated in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Through the Liberian Education Advancement Program (LEAP), Hilltop assumed operational responsibility for 19 government schools, with formal approval from the Ministry of Education. Within those schools, Hilltop’s leadership strengthened school management, improved student attendance, and expanded access to consistent, quality education across the communities they served.

A holistic approach to education

Hilltop Schools’ model recognizes that learning does not happen in isolation. In addition to classroom instruction, students receive support that addresses their intellectual, emotional, and social development.

Across its schools, Hilltop provides support that extends beyond classroom instruction, including:

access to health care
a full social work department
after-school enrichment programs
a Safe Space designed to build confidence and support
Safeguarding training
Child protection protocols
Child protection protocols
community engagement

All of which are central to how schools are operated each day.

Leadership grounded in community

Sylvestine Gbessagee, Executive Director of Hilltop Schools, is a master’s-level social worker and experienced educator. She came to the United States at age 21, where she lived for 30 years, building her education, career, and family before returning to Liberia.

Under her leadership, Hilltop Schools has expanded its reach, strengthened safeguarding and educational standards, and taken on the stewardship of the Melvin B. Tolson School, now renamed the Zoe Robinson Academy.

Sylvestine Gbessagee

Director, Hilltop Schools

Where the work continues

Hilltop Schools’ work extends beyond Zoe Robinson Academy. Across Liberia, Hilltop partners with communities and the Ministry of Education to operate and strengthen schools, support teachers, and provide services that help children learn and thrive. You can learn more about Hilltop Schools at hilltopschools.org.

At Zoe Robinson Academy, Hilltop works in partnership with the Liberian School for Needy Children (LSFNC), a U.S.-based nonprofit that provides funding, oversight, and long-term planning support. Together, this partnership is focused on restoring enrollment, strengthening instruction, and ensuring the school’s long-term stability.

To learn more about the school as it operates today — including facilities, programs, and daily life on campus — visit The School page →

Our work is guided by clear standards that keep roles distinct, decisions consistent,
and accountability transparent.

see our Mission, Vision & Core Values →

Zoe believed that every child is a gift from God, deserving of dignity, opportunity, and love. LSFNC continues her legacy — one child, one classroom, one future at a time.