| Monrovia - The Today’s Women organization, USA Chapter, has given three students scholarships to attend the Konola Mission School in Bong County. The organization also provided three bags of rice, three gallons of oil, cutlasses, hoes, mattresses among other things for the students to take them on the mission. Student Yassah Zeon, one of the beneficiaries told Frontpageafrica (FPA) that with the scholarship awarded to her will take the opportunity very serious because she wants to be a medical doctor when she grows up. “ My parents cannot fully provide assistance for me to continue my educational journey, so with the help I am receiving from Today’s Women Organization, Liberia Chapter, I will do all I can to make my parents and the organization proud,” the twelve years old said.
Zeon who is currently in the seventh grade, noted that her father was at the university studying Chemistry, but never completed his course and her mother is a baker, “it is a blessing to have the means to attend school to a decent mission and my school fees being paid in full.”
Zeon said while she will be away from her parents and living on the campus of the Konola Mission, she will try her best to stay away from trouble and read her notes every day; to maintain the scholarship one has to have an 80% average or above. “I will be too busy with my lesson for me to enter into trouble with the other students on the campus. I know what I want and I know by background so nothing will deter me not to listen to my teachers and follow instructions as they will be presented to me,” student Zeon mentioned.
She thanked the organization and everyone that made it possible for her to obtain the scholarship.
Sekou Songar, another beneficiary, who is in the eighth grade said when he grows up he wants to serve in the marine. “ I am going to school to be respectful, study my lesson, make new friends but will always know that this organization is the reason why this dream came to reality,” Songar noted.
He said he is very happy to be a part of the scholarship and he will do his school work at all times. Songar promise to stay away from anything that will put him into problem and hope his stay at the mission will be wonderful and rewarding educationally.
Today’s Women organization, Liberia Chapter President, Linda barrolle Saygbe who spoke to FPA before the program said the organization was established in the United States of America(USA) in 2001 October.
According Mrs. Saygbe, in 2007, a delegation from organization in the USA came to Liberia and established Today’s Women Organization, Liberia Chapter which has awarded the scholarships to the students.
She said the aim of the organization is to reach out, to inspire and also to assist in the growth, nourishing of children and to make someone smile just by showing love and concern.
The President said the organizations focuses on children that live in extreme poverty, struggling to make ends meet and whose parents cannot afford to educate them. “We go into communities and find out if any child or children are facing difficulties with life especially with their education, we take the ones that are determined with B or A average and send them to school, since we are in the position to empower them that is exactly how to put smile on someone face,” Mrs. Saygbe noted
She said the organization’s branches in Liberia and that of the USA always have one discussion on how to select children and most times they are asked to look for three to four children to be sent to school by the organization.
“We send out announcements in the communities and if we find children in such deplorable conditions and yet very smart, we conduct an interview and if they are successful, we put them in school,” Mrs. Saygbe said.
The president said no organization or the government has assisted them, but they get into raffle draws, do birth month contest among other things to keep up the program. She said they do clean-up campaigns in the communities and that last year; the Township of Congo Town and the Township of Paynesville Town Hall were the two communities they cleaned up.
Mrs. Saygbe said when the organization gets stronger financially, they will extend the assistance to rural areas because they are truly aware that there are many children in the remote parts of Liberia that need to be educated.
Mrs. Saygbe emphasized any organization within Liberia that works in line with what the Today’s Women Organization; Liberia Chapter is doing and wants to be part of the organization they are willing to work along with such organization. She extended thanks to the organization’s branch in the USA for the help.
Portia N. Harris, Financial Secretary, Today’s Women Organization, Liberia Chapter thanked God for the assistance they are receiving from their sister branch and hope the beneficiaries will remain conscious about their educational task ahead and be focus at all times on their lessons. |
