A renowned Liberian Clergy, Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karnga, is proud recipient of the Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer Lifetime Award for Service to the Nation.
- The Amos C. Sawyer Education Foundation has been officially launched in Monrovia with its inaugural annual fundraiser, bringing together national leaders, educators, and advocates in a night of reflection, recognition, and renewed commitment to educational advancement in Liberia.
The event celebrated the enduring legacy of the late Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, a statesman, scholar, and champion of democratic governance. Speakers paid tribute to his contributions to Liberia's academic and political development, while reaffirming education as the most powerful vehicle for national transformation.
Among key attendees on Saturday, June 14, 2025, was Senate Pro- Tempore, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who joined the event not only as a political leader, but also as a sister of the late Dr. Sawyer. A highlight of the night was the presentation of the Amos Sawyer Lifetime Award for Service to the Nation to her father, Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karnga.
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Following the ceremony, Senator Karnga-Lawrence took to her official Facebook page to share her appreciation and emotion over the honor:
"Last night, we attended the launch of the Amos C. Sawyer Education Foundation, where our father, Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karnga, was a recipient of the Amos Sawyer Lifetime Award for service to the nation.
We were told that the late Dr. Sawyer had a plan to present this honor himself and didn't get the opportunity to do so.
Our family is extremely grateful for this recognition. Thanks to Mrs. Sawyer and the family, and the board of directors," she wrote on June 15.
Another major posthumous recognition was given to Prof. Agnes Nebo von Ballmoos, as Liberia's foremost ethnomusicologist. She was celebrated for her tireless dedication to preserving Liberian folklore music and for the artistic standards she set with the University of Liberia Choir and Choral Group.
Held in the ballroom of Monrovia City Hall, the fundraiser brought together a diverse mix of stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Proceeds from the event will support scholarships, mentorship programs, and educational resources for underprivileged students throughout Liberia.
The Foundation's Board Chair, former Associate Justice Kabineh Ja'neh, emphasized its commitment to empowering Liberia's next generation through access to quality education, leadership development, and civic engagement, principles that defined Dr. Sawyer's life and career.
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Dr. Sawyer, who served as Interim President of Liberia from 1990 to 1994 and later as Chairman of the Governance Commission, is remembered as a visionary, who placed inclusive governance and education at the heart of nation-building.
One of the outstanding features of this year's events was the introduction of the Annual Amos C. Sawyer Academic Lecture Series. The inaugural lecture was held on Friday, June 13, on the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia, home to the Dr. Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
In a spiritual climax to the three days of celebration, the Foundation hosted a dedicatory service in honor of what it called Dr. Sawyer's 80th birthday, referred to as his "heavenly birthday." The event took place on Sunday, June 15, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on 10th Street in Sinkor, drawing family, friends, and admirers to reflect on his life and legacy.
The weekend events, filled with song, speeches, and reflections, served as a powerful reminder of Dr. Sawyer's enduring belief that Liberia's progress hinges on its commitment to education and democratic values.
The Foundation's message was clear: Dr. Amos C. Sawyer's vision must live on through action, and through every young Liberian given the chance to learn, lead, and serve. Editing by Jonathan Browne
