Students and administrators at the JWA Richard High School in Louisiana Township were beaming with joy when a three-classroom project was dedicated by Township Commissioner Moses K. White.
Speaking at the program marking the official turning-over ceremony on Friday, Commissioner White said it was a dream come true for him and the citizens of the township to have completed the construction.
Groundbreaking for the project took place in March of this year with the hope that funds collected from the program would complete the work.
However, the amount raised was less than expected, and some of those who pledged were not true to their words.
Despite some discouragement, he said his staff questioned the possibility of making the dream a reality.
“They said, ‘Chief, can we make it?’ and I said, ‘Yes, we can make it because we serve a living God,’” he intoned.
The Township Commissioner said that to implement the project, they reached out to friends, community members, and even reduced his staff’s stipends just to achieve the goal.“We want to say thank you to all of our citizens.
Although it was tough, indeed we all put our five-five dollars together, and today we can proudly say the project is ready to be used,” he said.
Giving a background of his passion for children’s education, he recalled that when he took over as Commissioner of the township, the school had not yet reached senior high status.
He made a promise to work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to achieve that status and true to his word, the school was later elevated to a high school.
He added that seeing how partitions were used in the various classrooms to accommodate more students inspired his vision of building additional classrooms, which led him to initiate the project in March this year.
Addressing the audience of students and government officials, he expressed his happiness that the students now have additional rooms for learning.
He put the cost of the project at a little over thirteen thousand United States dollars (US$13,000.00).
Commissioner White, in a joyous mood, reported that the first fifteen seniors of JWA Richard High sent for the national exams—all fifteen passed successfully.
He is now pushing for the construction of a science laboratory, an auditorium, a recreation center for the kids, and other facilities that enhance learning at any high school.
The occasion was graced by Montserrado County Superintendent Whroway Bryant, Montserrado County District #1 Representative Rugie Yatu Barry, and other educational stakeholders including County and District Education Officers, among others.
In her remarks, Representative Barry made a symbolic presentation of fifty armchairs she procured for the school, promising to meet with the fifteen graduates for a positive discussion.
Also, the Superintendent promised that the County, under his leadership, will construct the auditorium.
The Superintendent praised the leadership of the Louisiana Township and Commissioner for their visionary service since taking office.
At the same time, the office of Dr. Thomas Nimene Tweh Jr., also known as “Original County Man,” pledged 150 pieces of armchairs and the construction of a hand pump.
