ADRA Liberia donates textbooks

In a continuous effort to supporting Liberia’s post-Ebola plan, the Adventist Development Relief Agency or ADRA Liberia, has embarked on donation of textbooks to the University of Liberia and community colleges in the country.

The books, which are categorized based on various professions, worth almost a million United States Dollars, according to an official of ADRA Liberia, who spoke to this paper on Friday, May 15, prior to a formal presentation ceremony at the University of Liberia on Capitol Hill.

The UL benefited dozens of cartoons of various textbooks, including medical (sciences) and other professional books on Friday, May 15, 2015.

The occasion was graced by UL President Dr. Emmett Dennis; the Head of UL Relations, who is also a former Deputy Minister of Information Norris Tweah; Dr. S Momolu Gartaweh, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Walters S. Wiles, Vice President for Institutional Development, and Madam Wedah Kobba Wreh, Vice President for Administration as well as Dr. Kandah Golafaleh,  Dean of the A.M. Dogloitti Medical College and students of the University, including ADRA Liberia delegation. 

Meanwhile, ADRA Liberia Country Director Anthony Aaron Zaizay, said the books were provided by the institution’s international partners (ADRA Network) adding that there are so many of them in the storage at the Head Office of ADRA Liberia to be distributed to colleges in the country.

Mr. Zaizay said ADRA Liberia visited the Voinjama Community College in Lofa County last week and noticed that the college’s library completely lacks textbooks, which led the relief agency to the decision of sending a pick-up load of cartoons of books for the institution.

He added following that, they decided to assist the University of Liberia with some of the books.

According to him, the next institution is the Grand Bassa Community College any time this week where similar donation will be carried out. 

Mr. Zaizay: “Our goal is to reach to all the community colleges in Liberia, all; that’s our goal. We get some elementary books there also; for those of you, who are dealing with elementary schools, you can contact us at our office and see if we can sort out some of those books.”

The Country Director told the UL Administration that he could not give the exact monetary value of the books donated to the university, but it is around US$10,000, maintaining that the books are very expensive in terms of cash value.

The Finance Director for ADRA Liberia earlier told this paper that all of the books donated to various colleges worth around US$1 million.

Receiving the books on behalf of the University of  Liberia, Acting Vice President for Academy Affairs Dr. S. Momolu Gartaweh thanked ADRA Liberia and said he was very happy to see lots of different professional textbooks donated to the university.

He instructed the Librarian at the UL to itemize the books and send them to the various colleges to enable the professionals there to use them for the intended purposes.

Dr. Gartaweh narrated that the University of Liberia really needs the books because teaching cannot be effectively done without textbooks, most especially professional ones like those donated by ADRA Liberia.

He encouraged ADRA Liberia to extend profound gratitude to its partners for the far sightedness. 

ADRA Liberia is also expected to offload two 40 feet containers of medical equipment shortly in Monrovia for the health sector. Edited by Jonathan Browne