By: Mack Rogers I Grand Cape Mount County Contributing Reporter
Mendemasa Clan, Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount County~Monday, October 20, 2025~
A Local School Administrator has launched a passionate appeal for a yearly financial subsidy to his institution in Grand Cape Mount County which is helping to build the capabilities of the Liberian children in both academic and vocational education in the county.
Rev. Varney Freeman, founder and proprietor of the Betty Memorial Institute situated in the Mendemasa Clan, Tewor District, informed this news outlet that the facility has accommodations for both females and males and the institution is offering vocational education for students from Grade 7th to 12th with affordable fees.
The Betty Memorial Institute Is the only faith-based institution in Grand Cape Mount County offering vocational education to her students in the county.
Rev. Freeman named vocations such as electricity, agriculture, domestic science consisting of tailoring, pastry, catering, and soap-making among others. Also, general mechanics is another course they are also offering at the institution.
The BMI Founder and Proprietor used the same time to attributes the issue of joblessness in the country to the lack of skilled capacities on the parts of the many high school and college graduates across Liberia.
Rev. Varney Freeman disclosed that the main reasons for seeking annual financial subsidy from government and partners, is to help sustain and enhance the institution, reduce the pressure on parents who want to enroll their children at the institution but don’t have the financial wherewithal.
He added that the BMI is partnering with an organization currently based in the United States of America known as “Vocational Education Support Africa-(VESA)”.This is the key organization that is providing the funding support in terms of logistical and financial support especially regarding vocational teachers stipends at the institution.
According to Rev. Freeman, the Betty Memorial Institute was founded in 2008 and officially dedicated on October 20, 2010.
Customarily, since its founding, the Institution host an annual Capstone Program for students graduating from Grade 12, showcasing a priority project of the local communities in the county in alignment with the vocational education acquired by them during their studies at the institution.
For the 2024-2025 graduates of the Betty Memorial Institute, two groups’ showcased projects, which they claimed and considered pressing needs for the citizens of Grand Cape Mount County.
According to both groups as per their respective presentations, when these issues are addressed properly, it would help reduce traveling cost and they citizens would have affordable access to producing more for themselves.
Group A is called ‘Muibanimaa’, meaning, ‘We have done it’. This group was engaged in tailoring and designing of African sandals. Group B referred to as ‘Mutaja’ translated into ‘Let forge ahead,’ was involved in making a cassava grinder.
The two groups, performed excellently well in the presence of various stakeholders who attended the Capstone Program including Tewor District Education Officer; Lahai I. N. Konneh, who was highly delighted with the performance of the students and promised to officially communicate the information to his immediate boss for onward to the authority of Ministry of Education. DEO Konneh then welcomes the call made by Rev. Freeman regarding additional from government and partners alike.
For his part, Mr. Varney Vaikai Rogers who proxy for Tewor District Commissioner, Aaron B. Sambola stressed the need for more support to the institution from the county authorities, the companies operating in the county and National Government.
Accordingly, the Betty Memorial Institute is helping Liberian children in both academic and vocational education and as such, when they have graduated, they have a skill to begin their lives with before furthering their educational sojourn in society.
During the occasion, Rev. Varney Freeman and his darling wife, Mrs. Queeta D. Freeman who is also the Principal, gowned a single mother whom they said, demonstrated so much commitment in paying her daughter’s school fees timely; including some of the students for being disciplined and humbled in the school.
