Logan Town- Monrovia-Assistant Minister for Special Services at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, George Marshall, has awarded a local university scholarship to a teacher at the Market Women Children Program (MAWOCHIP) Daycare school while announcing plans to expand the initiative to reach more children and families.
By Jaheim T [email protected]
Speaking during a school first anniversary at the Logan Town Market, Marshall who is also the school Board chairman, said the initiative was created to provide a safe learning environment for children of market women while their parents sell their goods.
He explained that the idea originated from Sedia Patricia Weah, whom he described as a caring woman with a passion for helping vulnerable families.
“This dream came about from a very care-giving mother, Sedia Patricia Weah, who brought this idea to me,” Marshall said.
Marshall explained that after discussions with Weah, they developed a framework to launch the project.
He said the center first encountered challenges related to space and land before eventually relocating to Logan Town, where a damaged market facility was renovated to accommodate the program.
“As you see, this building was very damaged. We had three full months of renovation, making sure that the kids would have a very good learning atmosphere,” he said.
The daycare program currently offers classes from Nursery and ABC levels through Royalty 1 and Royalty 2. Marshall said enrollment has grown significantly since the initiative began last year.
“We started last year with 35, 40 kids. Today we have over 105 kids in this program,” he said.
As part of the event, Marshall awarded a scholarship to Suzana Kamandia, one of the Daycare School’s teachers.
The scholarship will support her studies at a local university of her choice until graduation.
He described the gesture as an investment in education and the future of children enrolled in the program.
Marshall said he is also seeking partnerships with government institutions, friends and development partners to help sustain and expand the initiative.
“I continue to reach out to friends and supporters, friends in government, non-governmental friends, to see if there’s a partnership to make this dream a reality,” he said.
According to Marshall, the next phase of the project will include expanding services to other markets.
He revealed that discussions are already underway with market authorities regarding a suitable location for a new center.
He said the long-term goal is to ensure more children have access to quality early childhood education and care.
Marshall expressed confidence that the project will continue growing and impacting more lives in the coming years.
“Before I depart, I’m going to have impacted not less, but more,” he said. “Society should trust me for that.”
Beyond childcare, the initiative is also providing skills training opportunities for parents.
Marshall said some parents are already learning baking, sewing, and tie-dye production to help improve their economic opportunities.
“Even if you pass by, you’ll see the parents learning how to bake, how to sew,” he said.
He added that future plans include establishing computer laboratories and expanding educational resources for children attending the center.
“For this program, I can assure you, in the next couple of years, when you come back here, you’ll see the kids’ computer labs, everything set up,” Marshall said.
Marshall noted that the program does not only focus on classroom learning but also provides support to children and families during emergencies.
He cited an instance where the center helped cover medical expenses for a child who became ill.
“When I got the call, we made sure that his medical bill was covered by the board,” he said.
The daycare currently serves children from as young as nine months old to 12 years old. Marshall said growing enrollment and community interest have increased the need for larger facilities and additional resources.
“One of the younger kids is nine months old,” he said.
Despite the program’s growth, Marshall said he intentionally kept much of the work out of the public spotlight because he believes community service should be motivated by compassion rather than recognition.
“So giving back to society does not mean that everybody has to know about that. So that’s the reason I’ve been so quiet about it,” he said.
The Market Women Children Program Daycare continues to support children of market women and several children from surrounding communities, providing both educational opportunities and social support to families in Logan Town.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
