Konobo Community College of Agricultural, Science, and Technology Project
Liberia engaged in a civil war for most of the 1990’s that had a devastating impact on most of the country. It was impossible for Liberians to attend school. Young Liberians were recruited by warrior factions and trained as soldiers. These young Liberians who would have graduated from rural schools and attended universities were forced to use their guns to terrorize the country. The Liberian civil war also produced refugees and displaced large chunks of the population; most of which were displaced in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. Refugees were also displaced to camps in areas such as Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.
Konobo statutory district is the remote south-eastern part of Grand Gedeh county, a republic of Liberia, and has been slow to recover from the recent civil war. It suffers from bad infrastructure and many people have had little or no chance to get a formal education, lacking the necessary skills and knowledge to get a job or create small businesses. Konobo Community College of Agriculture Science and Technology will offer the lost youth in Liberia a chance to gain practical skills that are in-demand in their communities by keeping them engaged and enabling them to earn a living.
This project will be located approximately 400 miles from Monrovia on an 8 acre site in Ziah Town. This area was selected because over the years it has had little to no investment in the public school system, but has a population of 50,000 in the area. Students have to travel two days to either Zwedru, the capital city of Grand Gedeh County, or Monrovia to get an education. In 2008, I worked with local officials to upgrade one of the public schools in Ziah Town to a high school. I personally hired five accredited professors and paid them a salary for one full school year before I transitioned operations over to the local government.
Konobo Community College of Agriculture, Science and Technology will teach our youth to be the farmers of tomorrow. Agricultural expertise is a powerful tool to use in taking on many of the challenges we face today in Africa. Poverty, economic stagnation, poor health and wellness, and other issues can be addressed by empowering others with knowledge and skills. This college will help cultivate the minds of our youth and educate them in areas from the various types of soil and plants available for use, to soil management and crops production. The science of agriculture has rapidly improved in recent years, and our goal is to help educate the next generation so they can reach their fullest potential.
Agriculture is the backbone of African economy. Rural societies have been employed by the agriculture sector for many generations. The crops that farmers grow not only feed their families but they are also sold to provide income for their families. The income farmers receive after selling crops can be invested into other areas of the local economy, which can lift people out of poverty. This has always been a passion of mine, to teach my people how to become farmers and ultimately businesspeople. This college will serve to help in achieving that goal.
I am appealing to those who are willing to help in making this dream come true. We seek to purchase school buses for students’ transportation needs, housing facilities (residence halls) for faculty, staff, students, and construct buildings to house our operations (we plan to name our facilities in honor of our major donors!). We also plan to invest in advanced computer technology and laboratory equipment. We ask you to please join us to make this dream a reality by making a donation to the Konobo Community College of Agriculture, Science, and Technology of Grand Gedeh County Republic of Liberia South Eastern Region West Africa. May God Bless you all, Thank You!