BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – A local charity group has provided educational materials for students at the Marloi Public School, less than two months after it donated more than 50 chairs to the school.

The Professional Volunteers distributed learning materials including backpacks, notebooks, and pencils to the students and provided chalks, pens, folders, and plan books to the school.

Boersen Hinneh, who is the organization’s CEO, said the items were mostly donations received from members in Liberia and the U.S.

“We want them to be on path with other students in the city,” Hinneh said.

He said his organization intends to continue its assistance to the school and the community for greater impact. One area identified in the future is to train additional teachers of the school and to provide them with stipends.

Currently, he said the school has only two teachers, but only one is currently on the government’s payroll while the other is a volunteer.

“We are trying to get others. The [district education officer] was looking for high school graduates nearby to help teach after we have trained them,” he also disclosed.

“They need more people, two teachers are not enough.”

Hinneh believes that by providing support to students in rural Liberia, they will be motivated and encouraged to pursue their education.

“If today’s kids must be future leaders, we have to help them now with whatsoever we have in our own weak ways,” he emphasized.

According to the local charity head, children in rural communities lack access to adequate opportunities, compared to those living in cities.

He said the government improve education alone and needs the contributions of its citizens, noting that there were many other schools in rural Liberia like the Marloi Public School that are desperately in need of help, including classroom furniture, roofing materials, and teachers.

Meanwhile, the principal of Marloi Public School, Joseph Parker, has expressed his appreciation that the Professional Volunteers returned to support the school after its initial donation.

Parker said the contribution indicates good citizenship and patriotism on the part of the group’s members.

Marloi Public School was constructed in 2013 by residents of Johnny Tutu Town in Grand Bassa’s second district to allow their children to access education due to the lack of nearby public schools. The government later announced that it would take over the school; however, the conditions of the school have not yet been improved.

Featured photo by Sampson David