|
|
Liberia: LAC Contributes US$3,390 Smith Scholarship Drive
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
The Analyst (Monrovia)
8 September 2007
Posted to the web 10 September 2007
J. Ebenezer Daygbor
Monrovia
Grand Bassa County Electoral District #4 Representative, Mr. Gabriel Buchanan Smith, has launched a scholarship fund drive for the county.
Rep. Smith said the scholarship is intended to assist less fortunate students pursue their academic sojourn with particularly focus on students willing to return to the county after graduation to provide services.
Speaking during the formal launch of the program recenty at Bassa High School in Buchanan, the administrative headquarters of the county, he challenged his kinsmen who have the opportunity to invest in the education of youth of Grand Bassa to prepare them to assume future leadership.
"Time in and time out people continue to say that the youths are the future leaders of the country, how can this be when they are not educated?" he asked.
He said the future will only lie in the hands of prepared youths adding: "When a youth is educated ... [his mind is built]; then that youth can truly become a leader!"
Representative Smith said the idea came to him when statistics indicate that Grand Bassa is the least educated county in the country saying, "so we decided to change things around for the betterment of our dear country".
He said the issue of education to his administration as representative of the district and by extension, the entire country, and disclosed that the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus is considering plan to build a college in the county.
"As legislators, we've agreed that a college development is a must in Grand Bassa County", said Rep. Smith, who is chairperson of the House Committee on Election and Inauguration.
He said the fund drive will encourage more youths to complete their secondary education in the country in preparation for college studies commending the people of the county for making the dream successful.
The scholarship is expected to take effect this academic year for both secondary and college students with initial beneficiaries of 50, according to the lawmaker.
Meanwhile, the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), a rubber plantation company operating in Grand Bassa County has presented a US$3,390 check as an initial contribution to the fund drive.
Making the presentation at the ceremony, LAC General Services Manager, Dr. Samuel G. Bennet, said the company is delighted to have identified with the people of Grand Bassa by contributing to the advancement of education which will put the county in a better position for development.
Dr. Bennet stressed that LAC attaches seriousness to education for the people as exemplified by the building of a secondary school on its plantation which has an enrolment of more than 300 pupils.
He disclosed that the company provides four scholarships each year to hard working students to attend any collage in the country with about eight students benefiting from the program at the expense of the company.
He challenged students in the county pay attention to their studies to enable them become better managers or medical doctors.
|
Serving as guest speaker during the ceremony, the Special Assistant to the standard bearer of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Jacob Smith, urged youths of Grand Bassa to take advantage of the "golden opportunity" accorded them by their representative.
About US$4,000 and over L$31,000 was generated during the program. Meanwhile, Liberty Party standard bearer, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, has pledged L$5,000 toward the scholarship.
Several youths of the county welcome the opportunity and praised Rep. Smith for the initiative. Two youths Grand Bassa County, Jairus Gbaynkah and Brenda Johnson challenged other lawmakers from the county to emulate the positive step of Rep. Smith.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2007 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
