[INTERVIEW]
The Gwyan-Khan administration of the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas (GGAA) initiated a chairs-for-school project in 2016 for schools in Grand Gedeh County, Republic of Liberia. The Amelia C. Wiles Public School was recipient of 25 armchairs last year. Our correspondent Lincoln Nyanrue caught up with Madam Rebecca Wondee Gaye, Principal of the school and conducted an interview. Here are excerpts of the interview:
Lincoln Nyanrue (LN): We’ve learned that you have benefitted from some gesture from the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas. Tell us when did this happen?
Rebecca Wondee Gaye (RWG): It’s true my school benefitted in July…last year July they brought me chairs – 25 pieces of armchairs.
LN: And who were those that were spearheading the project?
RWG: One Peter and a girl came from America…I can’t recall her name again, but she came along with Peter. That was the two that came. She said she came from America; that the people sent her to help other schools that are in need.
LN: So, is it that the request was made by you people at the time?
RWG: My request always was in the office of the DEO (District Education Officer) and CEO (County Education Officer). That’s how they went there and saw my request, and they saw how great it was…that is how they came to assist us with the pieces of chairs.
LN: But looking at your school now as public school and the brothers and sisters in America decided to help, do you have further recommendation to them in terms of assisting the school?
RWG: I’ve got a very big one, even bigger than the house I am in. The building I am in now is not a school building. It’s a dwelling building (home) that we are renting. The PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) is renting it and paying $300 USD per semester. We’ve already got our land…if you look outside you can see the bricks the PTA are fixing (molding). But this is not sufficient. In this school, we have 426 students – there are 206 boys and 220 girls [students]. The total gives you 426 students. Therefore, the students that are in this particular building will jam up. Even the chairs the people brought for us, some children will only sit down [in the chairs]and some can sit on the floor. And then seeing is believing: If you take the photo and carry it there and they see their children on the ground they are going to show concern. But any other time you get a chance you can come pass by…
LN: So, you are asking them for the construction of your school building?
RWG: I am asking them to help in the construction of this public school building. I can remember certain part of last year the [Education] Minister came and even saw this place. And according to him, he felt bad. He even promised that he was going to build the school building. From that moment I went to Monrovia. I talked over ELBC; since that time he left we have not gotten anything from him. So we are still on the floor in the people’s house. So if the people want their house now it means these 436 students…there will be no school for them.
