Anna Elizabeth Foundation identifies with pupils

Anna Elizabeth Neal Foundation, a local NGO has put smiles on pupils of the government-owned Augustus F. Cane Elementary School in Brewerville, outside Monrovia.

According to the local NGO, the decision to identify with the students is in the wake of economic hardship faced by school going children across Liberia. The kids Thursday, October 5, received educational materials, including text books, pencils, curriculum, maps and assignment books, among others to help strengthen their learning capacity.

Anna Elizabeth Foundation Neal is foundation that consists of group of Liberians, who are living in the United States of America, and saw the need to give back to their country, especially children that are in need of educational materials to prepare themselves for the future. Speaking to reporters at the formal presentation program held at the school campus in Virginia, the head of the foundation Mrs. Andrea C. Kamara, explains that her late mother Mrs. Anna Elizabeth Neal Kamara was principal of the Augustus F. Cane Elementary School, but when she passed in 2005, her grand children decided to have a foundation in her honor to keep up the vision of the school.

“So when we the children came down from the United States to bury her in 2005, one of the first priorities was the school, we noticed that the school was going down, this is why we decided to keep her dreams alive by providing support”, Mrs. Kamara explains. When asked about the monetary value of the donation, she quickly responds, “For us, we don’t attach any cost to this process, because you can’t attach money to education but we do know that few thousands were spent to have these things here today.”

Meanwhile, she says her organization will continue its efforts as long as the school has more students that are eager to learn. “My dream is to see the Augustus F. Cane goes to a junior college.” For his part, the Principal of the school, Mr. Mohamed Siryon, expresses delight for the gesture, saying I” am lack of words from what is happening here today at this school.”

“This school is a government-run school, but authorities at the Ministry of Education have all turned their backs in terms of giving support, this is one of the many challenges we are encountering here.” According to him, students share classes due to lack of logistical support, lamenting that at times the school survives through help from the Parent-Teacher Association or PTA.

By Lewis S. Teh-Editing by Jonathan Browne