Paynesville City — New Energy Electrical Vehicle (NEEV) Liberia Chief Executive Officer, Cassell Kuoh, has unveiled a stunning plan to construct the headquarters of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL).
By Jaheim T. Tumu- [email protected]
Said Kuoh, “I would like to sit down with the leadership and help you build a headquarters.”
Kuoh’s announcement of his plan to construct the SWAL headquarters was met with huge applause from within the hall, with SWAL’s leadership visibly delighted. This feel-good story brought relief and a sense of accomplishment, with the possibility of it becoming a reality within twelve months.
During SWAL’s 38th anniversary celebrations, the spotlight shone on the construction of its headquarters. As an organization with limited financial resources, heavily reliant on donations for sustenance, and unable to finalize its memorandum of understanding to facilitate members’ travel on foreign trips, the absence of Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapha Raji at the anniversary event was conspicuous and unexplained.
The concept of erecting the headquarters was initially put forth by the keynote speaker, LFA 3rd Vice President Jodie Seton, who highlighted the absence of a headquarters for such a significant institution. Delivering her speech, Madam Seton urged SWAL to take the initiative in constructing its headquarters.
She said for the institution to survive, save funds and become vibrant and respected they need to construct its own headquarters.
Said Madam Seton, “If SWAL must build a wholesome functioning organization and move to the next level, I strongly urge you to devise a plan to build your own headquarters. My friend, even in our own contemporary Liberian setting, most young people have raised the bar and have started moving into their own homes at the age of 38. How about a big institution like SWAL? Most organizations in Liberia do not survive because they lack sustainability plans. To be able to survive, you must start to move into your own building.”
Kuoh, serving as the chief launcher, watched on as pledges were being made and with some members pledging small amounts like two bags of cement, while others like LFA executive member Pawala Janyan who is also a member of SWAL pledged 25 bags of cement to an institution that does not have land of its own.
Kuoh mentioned that while he could contribute, it wouldn’t be beneficial if the institution still had no land. Standing next to Deputy Minister of Sports, D. Andy Quamie, who pledged $1,000, he expressed his desire to work with the leadership to secure land and build a headquarters, promising that their next anniversary could be celebrated in their facility.
He said, “In my capacity as the CEO of NEEV Liberia and president of FC Fassell, I could give 5,000 or USD 10,000, but it might not build the headquarters.”
“Guys, we will formulate the plan, and we will have the headquarters built as urgently as possible. We will have this discussion and you can rest assure we will celebrate your next anniversary in your headquarters,” he announced.
The audience, including both young members and veterans, gave a massive round of applause, as this was the warmest feeling for leadership, which had been struggling to secure funds for its projects since being inaugurated in December.
He emphasized the importance of funding for the organization’s growth and stated that building a headquarters would be a difficult task. He appreciated everyone’s support but noted that the funds raised that night would not be enough to build the headquarters.
Kuoh who pledged an initial amount of USD $2,000 on behalf of the Collaboration Football Stakeholders (CFS) and mentioned that he could personally contribute $5,000 or $10,000, but it would still not be sufficient.
“You didn’t make a mistake by asking me to be your chief launcher. Let me say taking SWAL to the next level as the keynote speaker said. You can never go to the next level with no money. Nobody is going anywhere with no money. SWAL can only be a great organization if there is adequate funding,” he said.
“To build headquarters is a difficult thing, and I appreciate everybody’s support as chief launcher, but if we must build a headquarters, we cannot build the headquarters with what we raised tonight, Kuoh who made an initial pledge of USD $ 2,000 on behalf of the Collaboration Football Stakeholders (CFS) told the audience.
