Nimba County District #9 Representative Taa Wongbe has dedicated a newly constructed modern primary school in Volay Town near Tappita City, describing the project as an investment in the future of children and the broader development of the community.
The dedication, held on August 22, 2026, brought together community leaders, local education authorities, parents, students and other residents who celebrated the opening of the new facility after years of children learning in a makeshift structure.
For residents of Volay, the new school represents a significant departure from the previous learning environment, which community members described as unsafe and unsuitable for children.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rep. Wongbe urged residents to take ownership of the facility and ensure that it is properly maintained for generations to come.
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"Citizens of Volay, this is your school, take ownership of it," Wongbe told residents.
He called on parents to ensure their children attend school and encouraged the community to collectively protect the facility from damage and neglect.
According to the office of Representative Wongbe, the construction of the school demonstrates his commitment to improving access to quality education and supporting community development in District #9.
The newly constructed facility includes classrooms, administrative offices and modern restroom facilities. The project also included the provision of copybooks for more than 100 students, as well as book bags to support pupils attending the school.
The interior of the facility has been decorated with murals covering the walls, while the exterior features a modern playground designed to provide children with a safe space for recreation.
Wongbe said the broader objective of the project is to provide Volay with an educational facility that residents can protect, maintain and preserve for future generations.
"The broader vision behind the construction is to provide the community with a modern educational facility that the residents can protect, maintain, and proudly preserve from generations to generations," he said.
He stressed that development should produce tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Liberians, particularly through investments that expand opportunities for children.
"By investing in education, my office is helping to create a stronger foundation for children to learn, prepare them for the future," Wongbe said.
The Nimba lawmaker also emphasized the importance of the project to parents, describing the school as more than a building.
"For the parents, this new primary school represents more than a physical structure, rather, it is an investment to provide a learning opportunity for the children," he said.
He therefore urged residents to take responsibility for the facility, warning that its long-term usefulness would depend largely on the community's willingness to maintain and protect it.
The call comes as communities across Liberia continue to face challenges in providing adequate educational infrastructure, particularly in rural areas where students often learn in overcrowded or makeshift facilities.
Residents of Volay expressed happiness over the completion of the school, noting that children in the community had for years been attending classes in a makeshift structure that many considered a potential "death trap."
The dedication ceremony was therefore seen by residents as a major milestone in improving the learning environment for children in the area.
The cost of constructing the facility was not disclosed at the ceremony.
However, the quality and scale of the completed project attracted speculation among attendees, with some estimating that the facility could have cost approximately US$100,000.
There was no official confirmation of that estimate from Representative Wongbe's office.
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Local authorities praised Wongbe for undertaking the project, describing the new school as an important contribution toward expanding access to basic education in the community.
They also joined calls for residents to protect the facility and ensure that it remains available to serve children in Volay for years to come.
The school dedication forms part of Wongbe's broader development initiatives in District #9.
The lawmaker is also embarking on the construction of a community radio station in Zuolay Town, a project expected to expand access to information and communication for residents of the district.
While the school project is primarily focused on education, the planned radio station is expected to provide another platform for community engagement and information sharing.
For Volay residents, however, the immediate focus remains the newly dedicated school and the opportunity it provides for children to learn in a safer and more suitable environment.
