By: J. Mason Kollie|Lofa County Correspondent
Voinjama City, Lofa County-Friday, August 29, 2025-A team from Monrovia conducting assessments on selected schools in Lofa County held a stakeholders meeting at the Lofa County School System office, Doe Hill; Voinjama.
The meeting brought together 19 participants from diverse sectors including traditional and religious leaders. Others present at the meeting were marketing association representative, student leaders, the county’s youth congress and women leaders.
The public sector investment program in education (PSIP) delegation, team leader, Mr. Uriah Karvlin King in his opening remarks, told the audience that the purpose of PSIP Stakeholder Engagement was to pass the message across to “The participants that government is not just those who work in offices, but all of us together.”
Besides, the engagement was meant create the environment for the flow of information and positive exchange between and amongst education actors on the various reforms taking shape in the sector including the ongoing investment in critical areas of the sector by the government and its partners.
Already, the government plan to equip 50 schools with computer labs under the PSIP initiative is underway. This is in addition to 156 public schools which have previously been equipped with computer labs while 28 Science labs are nearing completion.
He also noted the decline of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) operating in the nation’s education sector and indicated that the government has now launched the public sector investment program (PSIP).
He announced that fourteen schools in the county has been selected under (PSIP) for three major programs.
For his part, the School Feeding Coordinator spoke on the importance of school feeding and reminded the audience how, in the past, the presence of cooks and kitchen smoke brought joy to students.
He stressed that this year’s initiative is community-driven, using locally grown food within the county itself; adding that only when local produce is unavailable, will food be sourced elsewhere.
A representative from the Ministry of Public Works who also spoke during the meeting, urged community members present at the gathering to take ownership of the project. He encouraged citizens to clear and maintain access roads to allow proper supervision of the project.
The County Education Officer, John Seyenkulo Sallay, echoed similar sentiments urging communities to support the project actively. He encouraged schools and communities to engage in school gardening activities in order to supply fresh vegetables and crops to the school feeding program thereby ensuring sustainability.
In conclusion, the following schools have been earmarked for various projects under the PSIP initiative across the entire county as listed: Kolahun Central High School – Lab Expansion,
Massabolahun Public High School – Lab Expansion, Tamba Taylor Public School – Lab Expansion,
Vahun Central High – Lab Expansion;and Zorzor Central High – Lab Expansion. Others include,
Voinjama Public School – Lab Expansion, Bakuma Duworjallamai Public School – School Feeding
Kporlomin Public School – School Feeding; and Fassavolu Public School – School Feeding & Infrastructure Expansion. The rest among others are Balakpalasu Public School – School Feeding, Sumo Kota Public School – School Feeding, Antoinette Tubman Elementary – School Feeding, Bolahun Central High School – Lab Expansion and finally, Foyah Central High School – Lab Expansion.
Meanwhile, Team leader Uriah Karvlin King (PSIP), thanked participants on behalf of the Ministry of Education. He reminded the community not to view these projects as “Government projects” but as their own.
