94 Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado tailgate won't open-help please?

Please help. I cannot open the tail gate to my 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado. I am not even close to a mechanic (I am a single mom) so please don't laugh about this. I tried to "force" the latch open from the inside with a screwdriver with no luck. I also tried to remove the tailgate panel from the inside, but cannot seem to find enough screws for it to come off. Can anyone help?