Zorzor City, Lofa County, was a scene of excitement over the weekend when the Esther Bacon School of Nursing and Midwifery (EBSNM) graduated 32 registered nurses and midwives with only one male among them.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Chief of Health Section, Mrs. Sophie Parwon said the U.S government is "very proud of the special partnership they have created with the EBSNM."

According to Mrs. Parwon, transforming pre-service education has been a key component of US-Liberia partnership.

Pre-service education, she said, has a competency-based curriculum focused on ensuring that students are skilled in both the classroom and in the clinic.

"There has been a special emphasis to help future nurses and midwives develop a healthy bedside manner to treat patients with empathy and compassion in addition to providing care of the highest quality," Mrs. Parwon said.

She expressed gratitude to Liberia for adopting pre-service standards which is used to accredit existing schools and serves as a requirement for opening new schools.

The Deputy Chief of Party Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) Dr. Theo Lippeveld awarded diplomas and other awards to the graduates.

One of the graduates, Ms Youngor Suakolie, who took the first place 'academic award', also walked away with the second highest delivery award and became the best clinical Esther Bacon Award winner.

The latest ceremony of the EBSNM is its 3rd post-war, and the 1st registered midwifery graduation.

The ceremony which was held at the St. John's Lutheran Church was attended by an array of officials and international partners among them representatives from United States Agency for International Development (USAID).