Bong County – In an attempt to ensure access to quality learning materials for students in rural Bong County, Kponyekpoyah Organization in the Americas (KOA), a local social development organization established in U.S has completed the distribution books and other learning materials to four public and private schools in Belefenai, Zota District, and Bong County.
The educational materials were recently brought in country through the instrumentality of the KOA for onward distribution in the selected schools following a visit of the organization’s acting President Harvey Diggs to Liberia in 2017.
According to Mr. Diggs, he was shocked and saddened by the appalling learning condition of pupils during visit in Zota District and saw the urgent need to mobilize education materials upon his return to U.S along with other colleagues at KOA as early response strategy to the situation back home.
“We need to collectively work to ensure our educational sector is revived where kids particularly those in rural Liberia will have access to better learning environment and available resources to earn quality education for their future’’ Mr. Diggs stressed.
The KOA President disclosed , his organization distributed 94 cartons of assorted learning materials to initially four schools in Belefenai which directly benefited over seven (700) hundred students from the targeted schools. Schools that received the assortment of learning materials include; Gorpu Dolo Boi Elementary and Junior High School; Belefanai Lutheran School; Belefanai Community School and United Christian Institute.
At the Gorpu Dolo Boi Junior High School in Belefanai, the principal of the institution Johnson Flomo lauded the KOA for the timely intervention through the provision high quality text books for pupils. Mr. Flomo indicated the donation will help ease some of the challenges both students and teacher are confronted with in having access to learning resource materials.
The government run school principal expressed willingness to partner with KOA to create an enabling learning environment for kids attending the institution. He pointed the lack of adequate instructional materials, chairs and desk for the growing school population as some of the outstanding challenges currently facing the school.
Meanwhile, Mr. Harvey Diggs has unveiled an ambitious plan by KOA to establish a reading room for kids and mini learning resource center to be initially equipped with 10 Desktop computers with internet access in Belefanai. He indicated the learning resource center when established will serve as a point of skill development for youths across Zota particularly to hone their computer literacy skills.
The KOA Acting president believes investment in youth development through technical and vocational education is the best way forward in providing marketable skills to young people where they can in return be contributors to the nation building process as productive citizens.
He mentioned, despite the advancement of technology across the world, Liberia remains a bit distance when it comes to citizens utilizing technology to foster development at the community level and his organization remains committed to youth ICT skill development in Liberia Kponyekpoyah Organization in the Americas (KOA), is a non-political charitable organization established December 2012 with a mission to tackle illiteracy and poverty through education development mainly targeting rural youths in Liberia. It is spearheaded by group of Liberians hailing from Belefenai, Zota District, Bong County based in the United States of America.