On March 4, 2022, the Kids Educational Engagement Project (KEEP) dedicated its 27th Reading Room at the Kpoah-pa Whenten public school on Sacleapea road, Nimba County.
The project was made possible through the support of the Bility Development Foundation.
The dedication ceremony was attended by local government officials including the County Education Officer Hon. Moses S. Dologbay and District Education Officer Hon Lee Dahn, the District Commissioner, Town Chief and the District Superintendent, Hon. Jefferson Gongar.
Making remarks at the dedication, Hon. Hon. Moses S. Dologbay, CEO of Nimba County extolled KEEP for the creation of the reading space and thanked the organization for its contributions in the education sector over the years and encouraged the organization to do more of such initiatives in Nimba as Nimba many schools in dire need of such learning facilities. He also thanked the Bility Development Foundation and in particular Mr. Musa Bility, Founder of the Foundation for the numerous other projects he has embarked upon in the County.
Making remarks on behalf of KEEP Liberia, Mrs. Brenda Brewer Moore encouraged the school to make sure the students utilize the Reading Room and the books stocked in the room. She noted that the room had bene stocked with 1,921 books valued at approximately U$11,518. She admonished them to take care of the books and to understand that to change the narrative of Liberia as a poor illiterate nation, Liberians need to place more emphasis on education and ensuring their kids are educated. This includes making use of reading resources made available. She thanked the BDF for fulfilling its promise to support the creation of one reading space and for always supporting KEEP in its programs financially.
Mr. Musa Bility, Founder of the Bility Development Foundation told the students that they have access to resources he didn’t have access to growing up in the county. That he values education immensely and is willing to support individuals and organizations championing education. He also encouraged the students to utilize the facility and pledged to do more projects in Nimba as he is a son of Nimba. He noted that he envisions his Foundation constructing Resource Centers in Nimba to help improve the quality of learning for the people as its only through education that Liberia will improve.
The Kpoahpa Whenten public school was established in 1975 by citizens of Leahwahpea Mah, Nimba County. The school has gone through a series of gradual changes over the years and currently serves 241 students up to the 9th grade. Located approximately 250 kilometers from the capital, Monrovia, the school is a public school and caters mostly to children from the nearby village. The community is one that consists of mostly sustenance farmers who grow rice and cassava and engage in backyard gardening that feeds their families. The school has a faculty of 12 staff, 2 of which are volunteer teachers.
The room brings to 27 the number of 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
