Ellen challenges graduating tailors

President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf has challenged the first batch of graduating class of 56 tailors and seamstresses from JuliJuah Vocational Training Center or JVTC in Bomi County to go into their communities and form their own little companies and produce clothes for their areas.

“When we go around, when we drive around, there are too many kids that are naked. There are too many kids that are in just any kind of bad clothes. This program is meant to address that problem,” President Sirleaf said on Sunday, 30 October in JuliJuah.

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a class of 11 males and 45 females were the first graduates on Sunday from JVTC which is directly funded by President Sirleaf in her native town of JuliJuah in Tehr District, with students from different towns in Bomi County.

President Sirleaf said the program is meant for the graduates to start sewing school uniforms and other clothes so that all the children in Tehr District and going beyond to Clay District and Sinje will be able to have uniforms and clothes.

She emphasized that while the school takes the next group of students and begins to train them to be like those graduating, the graduates should then go into the communities and form companies to produce clothes.

Two female students gave their success story during the graduation exercise. MaimaDukulynarrated that the program has now made her a useful person in the community because she can sew uniform for children.

Student Sando Marshall also said she learned that staying home and doing nothing was making her a burden to her husband; but having being taught tailoring, she no longer has to ask her husband for uniform or school fees because she can earn money.

Montserrado County District Sixth Rep. Mr. Edwin Melvin Snowein a keynote address said he was proud of the students, and awarded them contracts for two schools that he says he is supporting, one in Bomi where he seeks legislative job and one in Montserrado County.

Mr. Snowe had argued that Liberia will indeed be a better place “if we were to do what is happening here today,” suggesting that government alone cannot do all. He commended President Sirleaf for the program on grounds that empowering the people was better than to have them come to you every day for free things. He said what President Sirleaf is doing with her people as well as her palm farm, she is preparing a good place to retire.

By Winston W. Parley