BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – A United States-based Liberian family, who is the main brain behind the Annie T. Doe Memorial Foundation (ATDMF) in Sugar Cane Farm Community, Buchanan City, has led the ground breaking for the construction of a junior high building for the academy.
The new edifice, which cost has been put at approximately US$70,000, is expected to be completed before the commencement of the next academic school year by August 2020.
The founder of the ATDMF, Mrs. Saya Doe Sio, along with her husband, Francis Sio and two of their children, who led the groundbreaking, told FrontPageAfrica that the number of students’ capacity have overwhelmed the existing structure and so there is the need for the additional facility.
“Also, our students in the sixth grade will be leaving the elementary division and getting into the seventh grade, we don’t want to lose them. We need to have the building so that by the time they are getting out, we will be ready to accommodate them for them to continue their education uninterrupted,” Mrs. Doe-Sio said.
The new facility is also expected to take in at least 500 pupils including the present 350 kids, who are now in the school from kindergarten to Grade Six.
She praised an anonymous donor for depositing US$30,000 as that person’s contribution for the project, which is aimed at educating impoverished Liberian school-going kids.
In addition to their services to the students, she stated that they have served over 6000 individuals in the impoverished communities across Buchanan through their preventive healthcare services and women’s empowerment program.
For her husband Francis, Director of Strategy and Finance of the Foundation, he thanked their donors most of whom are Americans, for their generous donations in order to make sure that Liberia’s children obtain education.
He shared his excitement that after 10 years of the Foundation’s existence, he was glad that they are going to construct a new building for their junior high.
Presently, the academy has two structures, including one that is used as the auditorium and the other for academic programs and offices.
“This will expand our educational and women’s empowerment programs and allow us to increase enrollment to 500 children,” Mr. Sio added.
He promised that they won’t forget Liberia as God has been good to them so will continually come back to give to their brothers and sisters in Liberia. He added: “We give not because we have much but because God has been and is good to us.”
As he broke grouund, he called all humanitarians to contribute to the project, which needs bags of cement, bricks (both 8&6 inches), crush rocks, truck loads of sand, planks, nails since and steel rods.
The Sios’ 16-year-old daughter, Fransaya Faith Snorti Sio, who is visiting her parents’ country of birth for the second time, expressed her gladness for the work her parents are doing in Liberia. She thanked them for bringing her and her younger brother, Emmanuel Christopher Nyeswa Sio, to Africa in order to know their roots.
“There are many black people in America who don’t know their roots,” she added.
The Sios were also accompanied by another Annie T. Doe Memorial Foundation board member, who is also the granddaughter of the late Annie T. Doe. Janneh Peters Beedoe. Jenneh, who is the Director of Health Strategy for the Foundation also came from the US with her two sons, Nuquie and Jeremiah Beedoe.
About Annie Doe Foundation
The ATDMF, which is a US-registered 501 (C) non-for-profit organization, primary mission is to provide free primary Christian Education, women’s empowerment opportunities and basic healthcare services to underserved communities in Liberia. The Foundation also provides community scholarship to graduating high school students from in Charlotte communities, North Carolina
“Every child deserves the right to a sound education. Our goal is to stop the epidemic of high illiteracy rate among children in marginalized communities by providing free primary Christian education to over 340 young Liberians from pr