By Lewis S. Teh
A nonprofit and nongovernmental organization under the banner Gabanja International Volunteer Program (GIVP) has provided scholarships to 15 underprivileged children in Monrovia.
“My focus is to make sure that every Liberian child gets an equal opportunity at education”, says Gabanja’s U.S. – base partner, Matthew Weiss.
He made the statement recently when he met with several parents of underprivileged children from several communities in Montserrado, where they had launched a passionate appeal to the organization through its Executive Director Emmanuel Balo.
Mr. Weiss says it is unfortunate for children to sit home and watch their peers go to school, something he notes, shouldn’t be happening; it is against this backdrop that Gabanja thought to provide scholarships to augment the efforts of struggling parents and the government.
Gabanja is a non-profitable organization operating here in Liberia with headquarters in the United States. The organization seeks to empower less-fortunate Liberian children by means of advocacy, providing opportunities in several communities in Montserrado and its neighbors.
The organization has also embarked on providing mini-job opportunities for several youths in various communities within Montserrado, and its neighbors. Gabanja through its implementing partner Mr. Matthew Weiss, who resides in the United States, said the objective of the scholarship is to restore lost hope to underprivileged children and give them the opportunity to acquire an education.
In the meeting with the struggling parents, Mr. Weiss says his relationship with Gabanja was to bring his dream to pass and to better the lives of those underprivileged children who are desirous of going to school, but parents could not afford their fees.
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According to him, his connection with the organization was based on the love he has for underprivileged children and enthusiasm for the organization’s young executive director Emmanuel Balo.
The chief executive officer of Gabanja, Emmanuel Balo extolled his U.S.- based partners for the commitment shown, and the opportunity being provided to underprivileged children.
He stresses a need to expand the organization to the rest of the fourteen counties so as to provide the same opportunity to underprivileged children in those areas, as a means of advocating for every single child who lacks means of acquiring education or faces child abuse.
According to Balo, the national government can’t do it all for its citizens, noting that it was time for humanitarian organizations and well-meaning Liberians to join hands by buttressing the government’s efforts to ensure that less-fortunate children are given the same opportunity.
“As we speak Gabanja is in four electoral districts within Montserrado, and we are making tremendous strides to make sure that this initiative reaches the rural areas of this country”, he vowed.
He said their objective is to engage in projects that will affect the lives of ordinary citizens particularly, underprivileged children. Mr. Balo calls on international partners USAID, UNDP, and EU, among others to come to the aid of the organization.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/eftf-to-offer-scholarships-to-liberian-children/ Editing by Jonathan Browne
