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Quality Education: Our Only Path To The Future
Speech By
Mr. Edmund Zar-Zar Bargblor
At
The 2006 Convention of the Gborho Ahmuyan
Held at
221 Spruce Street, Darby, PA
July 1, 2006
Officers and members of Gborho Ahmuyan, Ladies and Gentlemen:
May I take this time to express my appreciation to the Planning Committee of Gborho Ahmuyan in the Americas,
especially the president Mr. Alfred Layee and his core of officers for inviting me here to speak on the topic:
Education. Indeed, I am honored by your invitation. May I also have the honor to convey my admiration to all
members of the Planning Committee for the outstanding job of bringing us together here today. Ladies and gentlemen,
please stand and applause the good work of those who helped to make this day possible. Some times as a family,
we might have our differences, we might even fight, but we have come together here today to discuss issues that
are important to the development of our Gborho region and our people. And for this wonderful effort, we say to
Brother Layee and his officers... THANK YOU and THANK YOU!
As grandson of Chief Bargblor, one of the great chiefs ever to governor the Gborho region,
I am blessed to be here today. Due to this status, I am under pressure continuously to work
for the success of Gborho Ahmuyan. My presence here today is an initial step to fulfilling this obligation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, today is a blessed day. It is a time for us to reflect and remember our good days in Gborho.
It is also a day to remember those friends, our brothers and sisters who cannot be here with us, because they have
left us. But most importantly, it is a day for us to formulate plans in order to create a better tomorrow for our
children and ourselves. The question on the minds of most Liberians is, what can each one of us do to help our nation
gets back on her feet since the dust of violence and stupidity have settled. In my presentation here today, I will
endeavor to provide a different perspective in this endeavor. At no time in the history of Liberia has the need to be
of service more evident, more demanding and more critical than now. The development of post war Liberia requires each
one of us to put aside our individual selfish-intentions and reach out to the needs of the nation.
I will briefly discuss with you my topic entitled:
Quality Education: Our Only Path To The Future
The education system in Liberia was developed during the colonial period modeled after that of the United States .
However, that structure does not fit the needs of a country desperately in need of economic development, nor one
trying to rebuild after a civil war. Liberia’s education system needs to be rebuilt around an economy of business,
food production and exporting goods. The system should be redesigned to properly educate as many people as possible
in the shortest amount of time.
To achieve these objectives, a National Service –Peace-Corps program needs to be put in place. This program should
provide teachers to all parts of Liberia . All students coming out of high schools would be sent into the interior
to teach in elementary schools for one academic year as graduation requirement. Students graduating from Cuttington
University College and the University of Liberia have to do two years national service as teachers in all high schools
located in the various counties, upon completion, they will receive their diplomas. Students from agricultural schools
such as the University of Liberia ’s Agriculture College and the Agriculture facility at Cuttington would help with
seasonal planting and harvesting of food. Like national service plans elsewhere, student participants would be paid a
stipend to cover basic necessities such as room, board and transportation. During the junior year of both high school
and university, students would receive instructions in teaching strategies and methods. In this endeavor, all students
coming from overseas studies must perform one year of national service in order to be qualified for gainful employment
in government or the private sector of the Liberian economy.
Thomas Jefferson was correct when he said in a letter to one of his friends in 1816: “Enlighten the people generally,
and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like the evil spirits at the dawn of day.” If the youth of
Liberia want to have a happy future, they must be willing to make meaningful sacrifices in the services of the
unfortunates. We have paid a price for allowing ignorance of mind and spirit to dominate our national culture.
We have suffered so much as a people and as a nation to again allow this enemy to dwell amongst us. Let us endeavor
to provide equal education opportunities to all of our people. In 1848, Horace Mann in his Twelfth Annual Report to
the Massachusetts State Board of Education: “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great
equalizer of the conditions of men, - the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”
During this convention, Gborho Ahmuyan in the Americas, needs to come up with plans on activating the schools within
the Gborho region. Its first objective is to immediately plan on proving financial contributions to the teachers at
Zar-yee Town Junior High without delay. It should be decided here today to provide a monthly stipend to each individual
teacher in the amount of $30.00 (US $ ).. I have been told that there are about 7 teachers at the school who are finding
it difficult to teach due to lack of compensation for their services and lack of materials. For seven teachers, Gborho
Ahmuyan will be paying $210.00 monthly to all seven teachers. For the whole academic year, this organization will be
paying $2,100.00 to all seven teachers. In the area of education materials, we can send books, writing materials,
(pens, pencils, copy books, chalks, etc.). My brothers and sisters, I say to you here today, we have the capacity
to help our people in these troubling times.
God has been good to the people of Gborho.. We gave Grand Gedeh two county superintendents, Washington Garley and the
late Hon. Kudah Jerry. We gave Liberia her first indigenous president, Dr. Samuel K Doe. And now we gave Grand Gedeh
County, one Senior Senator, Hon. Isaac Nyanbo, and two representatives. We have produced ministers, deputy ministers,
and commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Managing /Deputy Managing in Liberian body politics. The Gborho region has been
blessed.
Brothers and sisters, the time has come to turn our blessings into constructive contributions directed at improving
the lives of our people. What is the use of power, when it fails to improve the lives of others? We need to call
upon all Gborho brothers and sisters, especially those presently occupying official positions in the Liberian Government
to advocate for services to our people. Services, such as building a school in each of our towns, providing safe Drinking
water, road-net works, etc. We need to tell them that it is about time to have a High School within the Gborho region.
Ideally located in Zar-yee Town.. Our people have suffered so much. We need to demonstrate to them that there is a better
tomorrow. The future has great promise. Let us help our little brothers and sister on the ground in Gborho, Grand Gedeh
County that we care about their future and that we will do everything to make sure that their future is one of success
and happiness.
In closing, let me leave you with the words of the following poem entitled:
Wake Up My People
Wake up my people
Wake up and give a shout
Wake up my people, know what’s life is about
And wake up to the needs of all the ones who suffered sorrow
Wake up and promise now to do your best to change tomorrow
Wake up my people and Open every door
Wake up is time now love my people evermore.
Ladies and Gentlemen. Long live Gborho Ahmuyan and long live the people of Grand Gedeh.
Thank you and may God continues to bless you.
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