Monrovia – A local advocacy group, the Public Interest Advocates of Liberia (PIA-Liberia Inc) has officially launched its activities calling on the public, government and non-governmental agencies to render support in order to continue its projects.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
Anthonita Konah, Executive Director of PIA Liberia, during the launch of the organization on Friday, February 23, disclosed that since its establishment in 2017, her group has been engaging in several advocacy and intervention activities including the establishment of peace and health clubs in several schools in Paynesville, the “No Girl Left Behind” and “Enriching the Future Projects.”
Konah said over 65 students from the David G. Barshiel School System, Billie Call Christian Institute, Dr. Henry Reeves Memorial Academy, Thomas P. Fallah Academic and vocational Institute and the Revival Temple AG Mission School are benefiting from the peace and health clubs.
“The students are trained to be agents of change in their schools and communities.”
“We get them involve because young people are often used to instigate violence and are mostly affected in the process. They promote peace and assist their respective administrations in promoting a clean and healthy campus activities and reawakening the hand washing exercise on campus,” Konah explained.
She said under the “No Girl Left Behind” project, girls between the ages of seven and 15, who are not in school because of poverty, are recruited and thought basic literacy skills such as reading, writing and Standard English as well as home arts.
According to her, the children are responding well and eager to go to school, but due to lack of funds and other material support, her organization’s goal of sending them to school has not been realized.
The PIA-Liberia boss made a passionate appeal to governmental and non-governmental agencies and philanthropists to come to their aid and ensure the kids are integrated in full academic institutions.
“These children are not in school and their parents have no money to send them to school now. We decided to intervene in this way to so that they will not be home and feeling bad when they see their peers going to school. They really need children need to go to school.”
“Sitting home and seeing their peers going to school is not something good for them.”
” They deserve a bright future and that’s why we continue to call on every well-meaning citizens, government and NGOS to render support so that we can rescue them,” she said.
She further averred that the “Enriching the Future” program is training scores of women between ages 18 and 45 in pastries to make them self-sufficient.
Serving as keynote speaker, the Executive Director of Youth for Change, Alex Devine called on the young people to be sincere in their advocacy and urged them to stem their advocacy from an informed perspective.
Devine, pledging his expertise and support to PIA-Liberia, called on them to continue their initiatives with honesty.