Monrovia – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has launched her newest project, the construction of a learning center and safe home for children, girls and women who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
On Saturday, despite the heavy downpour of rain, several guests including the Manager of CEMENCO and the Board Chairman of the Jewel Starfish Foundation joined VP Howard-Taylor for the groundbreaking ceremony at the YWCA Compound in Congo Town, venue of what the VP has termed as her legacy project.
The Vice President thanked the major partners, CEMENCO and the Spoon Foundation for the collaboration to make the project a success.
She also lauded the YWCA Secretariat in Liberia and its international board for allowing her to use the compound which she said gave her and siblings a lot when they were young and living with their parents.
She said the partnership with YWCA is the way of giving back, and strengthening the organization to reach out to more underprivileged and disadvantaged girls, something she did during her days as First Lady of Liberia. She recounted how her office in collaboration with YWCA, the Haywood Mission School and Bethel Foundation sponsored 100 girls through the provision of shelter, education and spiritual guardianship for five years. Most of these beneficiaries are now professionals and contributing to society in diverse ways, she said.
With the launch of her ‘legacy project’, VP Taylor expressed hope that more lives will be touched.
“I want to thank YWCA because this facility and this organization was a part of my training. when I was growing up here in Congo Town, my mother would send us here on Saturday morning to come and learn skills…,” she said.
“This is my third round at the YWCA, only because I got a chance as a young girl to know what is happening here. Over the years, those agencies that should really be helping government to provide training, empowerment and mentoring for young girls have run out of funding. So I thought it wise to give back because this is a center for learning, this is a center for mentoring and this is a center for encouraging our girls to be the best that they can be.”
Also Speaking, the Chairperson of the Board of the Jewel Star Fish Foundation, and also sister of the VP, Madam Norwood Howard hailed the VP for always willing to help the needy, especially the underprivileged girls. She thanked the partners and pledged the foundation’s cooperation with them to make the project a success for the benefit of girls and Liberia.
“We look forward to a Liberia where there will be no more high school or college dropout; where people will have skills that will help to build a middle class,” she said.
Also speaking, CEMENCO Managing Director, William Gaihnard said the management and the board were delighted to work with the Vice President on this worthy cause and promised the company will speed up all of its support to the project to ensure it is completed within six months.
The Secretary General of YWCA-Liberia, Madam Roseline Toweh, on behalf of the organization’s global head in Switzerland, thanked the VP for the partnership and pledged YWCA’s cooperation to its successful completion.
Giving the overview earlier, the Gender Coordinator in the Office of the VP, Grace Scotland Briamah said the center will provide opportunities for girls to learn basic skills to earn a living, literacy class and will be equipped with a computer laboratory.
Meanwhile, the company hired to design and construct the structures, Equip Tech Liberia Inc. said the learning center will be build with containers, the first of its kind in Liberia and will last for 50 years; while the safe home will be constructed with concrete.