Liberia: LACE Abandons Schools Project In Jaytoken
…Leakage Roof, No Chairs & Latrine – By: Augustine N. Myers – What appears to be an unfortunate and unbearable condition considered anti-educational, is ongoing in a remote village in Southeastern Liberia, and that if nothing is done to urgently address such situation, hundreds of lass-privileged children may find it very difficult, if not impossible, in obtaining quality education.
Beautiful school campus with leakage roof and empty classes, built by LACE
Students of the Jaytoken Elementary School in Tienpo District, River Gee County are forced to sit on the cold floor, due to the failure of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) to provide chairs, and recondition the roof of the school which is in a very deplorable condition.
There is always disruption of classes whenever it rains, due to severe leakages on the zinc of a school that supposed to be a modern one in such remote area of the Country.
During a recent visit to the Jaytoken Elementary School, it was also discovered that there was an in-complete latrine project by LACE, thereby leaving students and teachers to use the nearby bush to ease themselves.
The School’s Acting
One of the empty classes of the Jaytoken public school in River Gee County
Administrator, Weah Dennis told Shout-Africa that since June 2007, LACE abandoned the project including the completion of the latrine, and the provision of chairs for all classes.
According to Mr. Dennis, a little female student was recently bitten by a poisonous snake, after she went in the bush to defecate, due to the lack of a latrine on the campus.
He said, all efforts in appealing to Liberia Agency Community Empowerment to change the roof of the school and complete the latrine project have failed, as LACE has shown no interest in the school, or to even re-visit the area, since 2007.
When contacted, the Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment, Ransee Kumbuyah, admitted that the school project in Jaytoken, River Gee had been abandoned.
Students setting on tiny planks and learning under difficult conditions due to the lack of chairs and desks at the Jaytoken public school
Mr. Kumbuyah described as very challenging for LACE, the school project in Jaytoken and also blamed the issue on the lack of support from the locals.
He however blamed the school administration and community residents for not taking self initiative to complete the latrine or recondition the roof, and their failure to transport the chairs which were reportedly manufactured in Kaweaken, some 3 hours walk from Jaytoken.
