Liberia: AKEWA Provides Funds for School Projects in Bassa
…As Deputy Speaker Hails Initiative – By: Augustine N. Myers – Citizens of Worr Wein and Saye Wein Clans, Worr Administrative District, Teemor Chiefdom in Grand Bassa County have broken grounds for the construction of two schools in the District.
Two Prominent Ladies in the Logging Industry of Liberia, (L-R), Eliza Kronyanh and Abigail Funke Odebunmi
Citizens at the Program
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AKEWA Group Companies, Abigail Funke Odebunmi
Deputy Speaker, Hans Bachue speaking at the Program
Citizens signed MOU, including Deputy Speaker, Hans Bachue (seated left)
The School Projects for both Communities which are respectively the first time in the District, was launched from dividends accumulated from the sale of logs by AKEWA Group of Companies, a Logging Concession operating in the District.
Launching the Projects, the President Pro-temp of the Liberian Senate, Gbehzohngar Findley admired the courage of the residents and cautioned them to undertake self-help initiative in their communities.
A proxy of the Senate Pro-temp used the occasion to also praise AKEWA Group of Companies for providing two thousand United States dollars for the commencement of the Projects in the District.
Speaking on behalf of citizens at the launch of the Projects, the Clan Chiefs of Wor Wein, Saye Wein and Doe Clans commended AKEWA Group of Companies for the high level of commitment in implementing its social corporate responsibility.
The Chiefs also used the occasion to urge their respective Clans to give the Company their full support as it carries on its operation in their respective communities.
They also challenged the citizens to give financial support and work force to ensure the success of the Projects.
Also making remarks, the senior Elder of the County, Garsuah Gray said the initiative will surely bring relief and an opportunity to the citizens for quality and affordable educated in the District.
Elder Gray noted that with the support from AKEWA, the projects will also bring improvements to living status of citizens in the District.
He admonished other Logging Companies operating in the County to emulate the positive and worthy example of AKEWA Group of Companies in providing dividends of sales of logs to communities to help them develop their respective communities.
For his part, the Chairman of the Community Forest, Garsaweh Harris, commended the citizens for their resilience shown for two school projects.
Mr. Harris cautioned inhabitants of the District to corporate with the Company, and also called on AKEWA to keep rendering support to the two Projects in Worr Administrative District in the County.
He appealed to the Management of AKEWA Group of Companies to also provide planks for the Projects to roof the schools.
Making special remarks, Deputy Speaker, Hans Bachue thanked the citizens of the District for their farsightedness to undertake such a project.
Deputy Speaker Bachue exerted that the project though it is the first of its kind in the District, will give way to other projects in their respective communities.
He stressed the need for the construction of markets and clinics in the District to ease difficulties faced by residents in the area.
Deputy Speaker Bachue expressed thanked to AKEWA for making available dividends from sale of logs to the communities for development and admonished the citizens to support the company.
He disclosed that other Companies in the County have not done such a great job like what AKEWA is doing in their District.
Speaking to reporters, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AKEWA Group Companies, Abigail Funke Odebunmi, said she was happy to see the communities using their benefits from the Company to construct schools in their District.
Madam Odebunmi, said before her Company went to the District, the entire area was isolated due to the lack of road network.
She said since the establishment of Worr, the entire area lacked road which has resulted to citizens tracking for more than nine hours to carryout farms and business activities.
The AKEWA Group of Companies’ CEO noted that with the presence of her Company, a 70 mile-road has been constructed and with a 32-meter bridge to create easy access for the citizens.
She further revealed that besides the dividends provided by her Company to the citizens, AKEWA will provide two thousand bricks for the construction of the schools.
The launch of the Project was climaxed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AKEWA and the citizens for the establishment of a saw mill that will provide job opportunities for residents.
According to the MOU, the Saw Mill is valued at one hundred thousand United States dollars and it will be constructed by the AKEWA Group of Companies.
