Budget Training Ends in Gbarnga

As part of   its capacity building initiative under the civil society and media program, Actions for Genuine Democratic Alternatives (AGENDA) has ended a one-day school budget literacy training workshop in Gbarnga for selected schools in Bong, Nimba and Lofa Counties.

Speaking at the formal opening, the head of the civil society and media program at AGENDA, Mrs.  Diana Moore- Kerwhen stressed that the training was purposely organized to engage the participants to understand relevant information about school budgeting process and policies to enhance their capacity as they go about formulating their own budgets at their level.

The AGENDA civil society and media program boss further indicated that the training sought to strengthen the participants’ analytical skills in budget preparation to serve as the basis for prioritizing areas for budget expenditure at the local level in the various schools.

She noted that this would enable school administrators   identify a number of key issues the various schools were faced with in the budget preparation process which could be considered as priority spending areas based on proper budget analysis.

Madam  Kerwhen  disclosed that to ensure the involvement of students in the school budget preparation  process,  AGENDA would ensure the establishment of  budget clubs in the various schools  targeted under the program  with emphasis   on the greater  participation of students in the budget literacy campaign.

Participants at the training lauded AGENDA for the initiative, describing it as an eye-opener process that has not existed in the various schools, but with the training acquired   it would put them in a better position to formulate and manage their own budgets at the local level in a more transparent and accountable manner for the greater benefit of the students.

About fifteen persons, including principals, teachers and students drawn from four schools in Bong, Nimba and Lofa counties benefited from the just-ended budget literacy training held in Gbarnga.