On October 28, 2022, the Kids Educational Engagement Project (KEEP) dedicated its 29th Reading Room at Careysburg Public school, Careysburg City, Montserrado County. The reading room was named in honored Edward A. Bates and Evelyn Bates by the Bates Family Foundation.
The dedication ceremony was attended by Hon. Thomas Urey, City Mayor of Careysburg City, County Education Officer (CEO), Hon. Harrison Darwolor, District Education Officer, Hon. Edwin Darju, Bates Foundation PTA Chair, elders, youth leaders, women leaders.
Making remarks at the dedication, the CEO of Monterrado County appreciated KEEP and the Bates family for providing a reading room for the students of Careysburg and encouraged the school to take proper care of the reading room.
“In my own name and the Minister of Education , Prof. Ansu D. Sonii appreciates KEEP and the Bates family for this great support. As the DEO early stated, a child that reads well has good comprehension skills and once you have a strong comprehension skills, it means you can will do well in all of the subjects. If an institution is promoting reading, we too should be grateful to them. Mr. Principal, we appreciate you for working alone with the partner to complete this project. “ Hon. Darwolo said.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Bates Family representative, Jeff Bates commended the KEEP family for working with the Bates foundation to complete the project.
“ It is our duty to give back and to look back. The Bates family is the biggest Bates family in Careysburg and its history goes back to over 100 years. It is a family that values education. Reading is important and as a child growing up, books were our foundation. Take good care of the room and the property is yours. I would like to say thank you to KEEP Liberia for making this dream possible”
Making remarks on behalf of KEEP Liberia, Mrs. Brenda Brewer Moore said Bates family is the first family to establish reading room and she commended the family for the determination to do the project despite the many obstacles.
It can be recalled that in February 2020, KEEP signed an MOU with the family to create a reading room at the public school in Careysburg. The school has 395 enrolled students and the reading room was stocked with 2,450 pieces of leisure reading books as well as readers valued at approximately U$30,000.00.
The room brings to 29 reading facilities KEEP Liberia has across 10 counties in Liberia.
KEEP is a registered charity in Liberia and the USA (#821262396) which supports various educational activities in Liberia with a mission to provide various resources that would facilitate access to primary education by engaging with parents, community leadership, establish community structures, and to promote social justice and development of vulnerable children and youth by strengthening their capacities.
You can follow their work on www.keepliberia.com (blog) or website www.keeplib.org
