Paynesville – A group under the banner, Sand Town Unification and Development Association (STUDA), in Paynesville has honored 14 senior citizens in their community.
Report by Mae Azango, [email protected]
The honoring program, which coincided with the launch of STUDA, brought together family, friends and well-wishers to witness the honoring of their loved ones.
The ceremony was held at the Norris Tweah Intellectual Center opposite the Isaac A. David Memorial School, located at the ELWA Junction, in Paynesville.
In his keynote address, Rev. J. Freeman Garway said when he moved in the community in 1976, he mobilized others and they established the Christian Family Institute in 1985.
He told the new group’s organizers, that their idea is good as it is aimed at the growth and development of the community; adding: “Liberia won’t be developed if citizens do not engage government positively.”
Rev. Garway told his audience that it was time Liberians not just sit back and allow other do for them.
He urged STUDA leadership to do all to remain afloat and not “die a natural death.” He further urged them to be accountable to the people of the community.
Rev. Garway, who certificated fellow senior citizens of the community, was honored as “Sand Town Community Pioneer.”
Madam Danieletta Sleyon, advisor of STUDA, said they established themselves as a way of helping the government in bringing development to their community.
Sand Town, situated in the heart of Paynesville, is one of those small communities that are hard to reach as a result of bad road; even though it begins just few feet from the main road from ELWA Junction.
“We want to see how best we can revamp and change the surroundings of our community. We will be willing to engage government for the cleaning up of the huge pile of garbage in our city because ‘health is wealth,’ so when we are healthy we can live happily,” Ms. Sleyon stated.
Mr. Solomon G. Zaway, chairman of STUDA, said the huge piles of garbage on the main street in the city makes him to wonder why the city government cannot remove the garbage.
“We have come together to engage the city authority to see how we can help in cleaning the garbage regularly,” said Zaway.
According to him, they had recently done a cleanup exercise, which took them from house to house in the community. They had told their fellow residents the importance of keeping the surroundings tidy.
For Patience Kakona, chairlady, STUDA will work to reduce teenage pregnancy and ensure teenagers to be respectful to older folks in the community.
Eighty-five-year Kamara, another pioneer of the community, said he was so happy to be honored for his contributions to the Sand Town Community.