Gbarpolu —The Binda Foundation has provided hundreds of school supplies valued at over LD$350,000 or US$2,500 to hundreds of students and schools in Garpolu county.
Donated Friday, January 21, 2022, in Gbarma District, the donation saw over 100 students benefiting while supplies range from hundreds of copybooks and dozens of uniforms sets.
Binda Foundation is a non-profit organization based in the United States committed to improving the lives and conditions of citizens in Liberia. The foundation is headed by its founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Binda.
Speaking Friday in Gbarma District, the Foundation National Country Coordinator Prince Vongbor said the move by the foundation was aimed at bridging the financial constraints being faced by hundreds of parents in the county.
“Hundreds of parents have complained that the economic conditions in the country cannot permit them to afford school supplies for their children,” Vongbor said. “Students themselves have complained. And so, as a responsible organization and understanding the needs of our people, we had to step up to the occasion.”
Prior to the donation, the foundation said dozens of students were being thrown out of schools by authorities due to lack of uniforms and fees. A statement issued by the foundation Friday quotes Mr. Vongbor as saying that the foundation was pleased with the intervention adding that more interventions were currently pending.
Friday’s donation saw both the Gbarma elementary school and the Beotoe public School elementary school benefiting. Scores of parents and teachers danced and chanted thank you slogans as items where being distributed, the statement said.
The statement quotes the foundation as saying it would shortly roll out several projects in the county 2022. The foundation named agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure and information technology as areas of focus.
Responding to the supplies, the chair lady of Gbarma District, Gballey Armah lauded the efforts of the foundation and described the move as timely historic.
“We are extremely excited by this great assistance being provided by the Binda foundation,” she said. “This is very first time we are seeing such a gesture in Gbarma. We can only hope that God will bless the members and board members of the foundation. Indeed we are suffering and we need additional help from the foundation.”
Expressing hope, parents and citizens expressed willingness to work with the foundation aimed at ensuring improve lives and communities. At the same time authorities of the foundation have called on citizens of the county to work in unity as it seeks to carter to their needs in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, governance and agriculture among others.
Since it’s establishment, the Foundation partner with scores of non-profit organizations in the United States and Europe with an assets reputation at over US$100million.
The foundation was lunched in the United States, following a four-year planning process by its founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Binda. Binda is a Liberian journalist, a US business executive and activist. Born and raised in Liberia with parents originating from Gbarma District, he’s also the grand child of the late Chief Ziamah Samgbeh, a historic paramount Chief of Gbarpolu.
Prior to Friday’s presentation, the Foundation in December 2021, presented over LD$35,000 worth of food materials to the national steering committee of the Gbarpolu county sports team.
The foundation also committed LD$1 million to the county soccer team had it emerge winner of the just ended National county sports competition.