Around The Country: Updates From Five Counties – August 19, 2020

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Maryland County: Mining Activities Pollute Drinking Water

The Town chief told reporters that the he is afarid that there might be an outbreak of disease in the community | Photo By: Bryan Dioh

Over 150 residents of Dekpiliken in Karluway District #2 Maryland County are lacking safe drinking water due to mining activities in the Cavalla River.

The residents of the town are now constrained to walk several minutes away from the town to fetch drinking water from a creek.

Speaking to reporters, the Town Chief , Solomon Hinneh, said since the establishment of the town, no hand pump has been built for residents thus making them to rely on the Cavalla river as a source of drinking water.

“The only water we had to drink here since we founded this town was the Cavalla River but these days because of the mining activities all of our rivers are damaged,” he said. “We can sometimes see oil over the Cavalla River and that’s the dragging Machine oil. This is very bad for us here looking at the number of persons in this town”.

He expressed fear of a potential outbreak of water bone diseases if they continue to rely on water from the creek for drinking, while calling on humanitarian organizations to make swift intervention.

Margibi County: Assessment Ongoing for Food Stimulus Package

The Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo Information Services (LISGIS) has begun awareness in Margibi county to begin sharing the long awaited COVID-19 stimulus package.

According to LISGIS Communications Director Varfee Holmes, a team of 160 enumerators will carry out a week-long exercise to get the details of households in the county.

Holmes noted that the data collected will be used by the UN World Food Program to determine households that would be consider as people in the vulnerable category.

 Gbarpolu County: Training Women To Prevent SGBV

The training is focusing on educating woman on how to respond to SGBV and other dmestic violence in the community | Photo By: Henry B. Gboluma

Twenty women are taking part in a three-day workshop aimed at increasing women understanding about their rights to enhance the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in the county.

The training, which began on August 18, is expected to end on Thursday August 21 in Bopolu City.

It is being organized by the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PaSD) under the theme, “Campaign to accelerate women rights in Liberia”.

The training should help accelerate participants’ skill on advocacy and lobby techniques, according to PaSD County coordinator, Mr. Alieu M. Fahnbullah.

Fahnbulleh added that the event will also build the targeted women skill in campaigning and creating awareness on gender issues.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries, who were selected from 20 community-based organizations, have pledged to take advantage of the knowledge gained to enhance the role of women in resolving issues in their communities.

The training comes after a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 15-year-old boy in the county, sparking outrage among many right activists.

Meanwhile, out of 10 suspects accused of rape and are in prison in the county, only three have been tried and found guilty by the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Bopolu City.

Grand Gedeh County: Hailing Partners For COVID-19 Response

CEO: “I urged you to please try your possible best to pass this WASSCE and I know that you will pass because your regular attend classes.” | Photo By: Ben T. C Brooks

The County Education Officer has called on 12th graders taking the West Africa Senior School Exams to be focused as the take this year’s regional exams.

Professor Harris Doe said it is important for students writing any public exam to “put on your answer paper what you know than to spy”, which has the likelihood of bringing a public disgrace to the student and the school.

“Write down what you know and what comes to your mind and forget the spying and exchanging of answers, sometimes it leads to failure because you may copy the wrong answer from your colleague(s),” Mr. Doe said.

“I urge you to please try your possible best to pass this WASSCE and I know that you will pass because your regular attend classes.”

In another development, the acting County Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County, Paul T Neoh, has thanked partners for their “tremendous” efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the county.

Mr. Neoh was speaking during the county’s Incident Management System IMS meeting in Zwedru.

“I want praise all partners to the process since the outbreak of the virus (COVID-19) early 2020,” he said, adding that despite the reopening of some institutions across Liberia, the only way Liberia can be total free from this virus is to continue observing all health preventive measures instituted by Health Authority. “The County will go back to its green zone if we all adhere to health policy,” he said.

Currently, Grand Gedeh has three active COVID-19 cases; four persons have recovered.

 Bong County: A Helping Hand for Examinees  

Students of the Dolokelen Gboveh High School in Gbarnga, writing this year’s WASSCE  have commended Representative Josiah Marvin Cole for providing them 25 bags (25kg rice), US$500 and several geometry sets.

The donation, according to the students, will be used for their feeding while they write the regional exam.

Student Moses Dolo said, “With the intervention of the Representative and God being on my side, I will pass this test. I was worried about a geometry set and other things, but today my prayers have all been answered”.

Another student, Joseph Myers said they will forever remain grateful to Mr. Cole and his family.

Meanwhile, several students of the county who are writing this year’s WASSCE are optimistic of passing the exam. Despite the challenges, the students said they will “make Bong County proud”.

For his part, Bong County Education Officer, Reverend Armah Varfee encouraged the students to remain steadfast in their education endeavor.

He said the government is not only committed to paying the WASSCE fees for students across the country, but concrete measures are being put in place to continue the revamping of the education sector.