On February 3, 2021, with support of the World Lebanese Cultural Union, the Kids’ Educational Engagement Project (KEEP) dedicated its 21st reading room at the Charles D.B. King Elementary School in Montserrado.
Speaking on behalf of the school the Principal Mr. Daniel Mulbah, thanked KEEP and WLCU for such a gesture and promised the gathering that the room will be properly cared for.
Making remarks on behalf of the World Lebanese Cultural Uniom (WLCU) Liberia Mr. Ahmed Wazni who served as its immediate past president thanked KEEP for advocating on behalf of the Charles D. B. King Public School and for serving as an advocate for students in Liberia believing and that education is the way forward for Liberia. He thanked KEEP and her Board of Directors for granting him and WLCU the opportunity to contribute towards education. He also extended thanks to the school authority for their endless hard work and that there are still good people in Liberia who are patriotic, trustworthy, and caring. He commended KEEP’s Executive Director who he said sees Liberia from a positive standpoint and her love and passion to develop human resource in Liberia is admirable.
Representing the office of the District Education Officer (DEO), Mr. Samuel D. Barr applauded KEEP for constructing its 21st reading rooms in 9 counties and appealed that such opportunities be reached out to other public schools within and outside Montserrado and other Ministry of Education Public Schools.
On her part, Mrs. Brenda Brewer Moore, Executive Director of KEEP thanked the past President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) Liberia Mr. Ahmed Wazni. Mrs. Moore emphasized that Mr. Ahmed Wazni’s statement of ‘trustworthiness’ and encouraged the students to be people of their word. She added that reading does not only aid in teaching about other cultures, but it also helps to learn new words, learn to critically think, learn to dream and aids in comprehension the ability to read and understand. Though public schools do have challenges, the she recommend the school authorities to make the reading room accessible to students, during and after school hours. She also encouraged teachers to utilize the room, conducting reading sessions in the reading room rather than in the classes rooms as a means of encouraging students to read.
The students were visibly excited about the room and speaking on behalf of the students, Miss. Sarah Dweh a 6th grader of the morning section thanked KEEP and WLCU for the gift of the reading room and promised to handle the room with care and own the reading room as a school.
Charles D. B. King Public School has a total number of 500 students and is a government operated school. though it suffers huge challenges as other public schools its strife’s in all possible ways to succeed is eminent. With the intervention of KEEP establishing a reading rooms capable of hosting approximately hosting 50 students accessing it is believed that the existence of the reading room would aid in the promoting the culture of reading in the school.
KEEP is a registered charity in Liberia and the USA (#821262396) which supports various educational activities in Liberia with a mission to provide various resources that would facilitate access to primary education by engaging with parents, community leadership, establish community structures, and to promote social justice and development of vulnerable children and youth by strengthening their capacities. You can follow their work on www.keepliberia.com (blog) or website www.keeplib.org
