Liberia: School of the Deaf Appeals for Support

The Christian Foundation Deaf Community School located in Ganta City is appealing to the public and any well wisher for support.

The school, with the enrollment of over 100 students is said to be facing huge challenges, in terms of feeding, electricity and stipends for the staff.

Speaking to the Daily Observer on the campus, the Principal Emmanuel T. Gaye since the establishment of the school, they are yet to receive any subsidy from the government.

He said the school is boarding all the students on the campus, providing three times meals and other basic necessities, something he described as challenging. "We have two dormitories, one for the boys and others for girls and all these dormitories are well furnished and electrified," he said.

"We need additional generators or solar panels as a backup for the electricity here, because the general line is inconsistent," he explained.

"Electricity or light is one of the key components of running a deaf school, because without light or electricity the deaf will not communicate," he said.

Pastor Gaye also disclosed that the deaf are also doing weaving and tailoring as extra curricular activities for self sustainability whenever they graduate tomorrow.

The Deaf Community School is located around the Prince Yormie Johnson Polytechnic University in Ganta and it is run by the Fordemantal Baptist Church.

The school is believed to be the only deaf school in Nimba County.

The Overseer of the institution, Rev. Edwin Gbor explained that it is surely the church that is doing everything for the kids.

He wondered why the government is reluctant in coming in with support, when all of the kids or students are Liberians. "We need subsidies to enable us to pay the staff and meet the needs of these kids," Rev. Gbor reiterated.

"These kids can contribute to the development of the country, if we all rally and give them requisite education," he said.

"It cannot be Rev. Gbor alone is neither of the church, but it is everybody's business, those children are our children and need our support," he concluded.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.