As the 2024-2025 Academic Year begins, non-governmental organization, Cytarus Initiative, with support from the National Port Authority (NPA) has donated over 2,000 school materials to kids in Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Gbarpolu Counties.
The donations from September 2-5, 2024, include book bags, pencils, pens, copybooks, sharpeners and erasers worth a total of over US$53,000. In Grand Cape Mount County, over twelve schools benefited; in Bomi County over ten schools benefited, while in Gbarpolu over nine schools received gifts from the Cyrtarus Initiative.
Some of the schools that received the donations are: Gbah Foboli Public school, Jebbeh Kiazolu Elementary, Junior School, Tombey Public School, Latia Public Elementary and Junior High School, Sembehun Public school, Sinje Public school, Samuel D. Hill Public school, Free Pentecostal Global Mission and Bomi Junior High.
Other include, H.Q Taylor, John L. Parvola Public School, Guide Town Public school, Gertrude Yancy Elementary and Junior High Public School, Karnley Town Public, Beh Yomo Public school, Jenneh Public Sschool, Alieu Swaray Arabic and English Public School and Bassa Camp Public School.
Speaking with reporters during the donation, the CEO of Cytarus Initiative Madam Cytarus G. Dahn said the gift is part of the “Go Back to School” initiative launched by the Government of Liberia recently.
She said there are further plans to ensure that students in the fifteen counties benefit from the school donation. Madam Dahn indicated that the school materials also demonstrate President Joseph N. Boakai’s desire to ensure that all children go back to school for a better Liberia.
“The President of the Republic of Liberia cares for you. He has sent us to bring to you books, book gags, pencils and erasers, amongst others. The President and many of us found it very difficult to get basic materials to go to school; so he cares about you and wants you to always be in school,” she said.
Madam Dahn also encouraged the beneficiaries (students) to focus on their education so that they can be able to educate their unborn children in the future and ensure that Liberia will be a better place.
“When we had conversations with the president, he told us there were times when he never had books and book-bags to go to school. Due to that, he has sent us with these gifts to ensure all of you are in school. The President loves and wants you to be educated because tomorrow you can be president too; you can be a minister”, she said.
For his part, the Principal of the CH Deweh Junior and Central High School in Bomi County Joseph K. Smeth expressed gratitude over the gesture from the President and Cytarus Initiative. Also speaking, the Principal of the Bassa Camp Public School, Suehn- Mecca District, Bomi County, extolled the President of Liberia through the Cytarus Initiative for the timely gesture.
“We are very happy and appreciative of this unique and timely gift from the President because there are many parents who were thinking and struggling to get school materials. Since school resumed, so many students have been bringing plastic bags to school,” the Principal stated. During the distribution, students were seen in an excited mood, while parents wore smiles on their faces at the various schools.
