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The four-person European delegation, which was expected to visit our school, has finally arrived in Liberia and has already visited the school, interacting with students, staff and parents.

Child presenting white kola nuts to welcome the guests traditionally

The delegation, headed by Elisabeth Thorne, arrived in the country on Sunday, March 24, 2013. The other three persons are Marianne Scharcz, Lena Marner and Anders Marner. Elisabeth and Marianne spent a night in Monrovia and came to Buchanan on Monday, March 25, while Lena and Anders came on Tuesday because they had some problem connected with their luggage.

Hence, Elisabeth and Marianne’s first day at the school was Tuesday, March 26, while Lena and Anders’ first day was Wednesday, March 27.

Staff members posing with the visitors

On the first day, the following things were done:

1. The school, through one of the students (a little girl), traditionally welcomed Elisabeth and Marianne, presenting them with two white kola nuts placed in a white plate. Some parents were also present. The kola nuts represent peace and purity of heart. This took less than five minutes.

2. Following this, we all entered the school building for a special welcoming program in honoring of the visitors. Students, staffers and parents were in attendance. Songs were sung, recitations were done, speeches were made, etc. Parents thanked the guests for visiting the school, and asked them to help the school and the children in whatever way they can.

Marianne speaking to the kids

3. After the welcoming program, we took a tour of the inside of the building, showing our guests the classrooms, the storerooms and the office.

4. After the tour, the administration of the school had a special meeting with the visitors. During the meeting, the staffers were formally introduced, the progress the school has made since its establishment in 2005 was highlighted, the problems it faces were pinpointed and the goals it has set thus far were made known.

Elisabeth and Marianne dancing a Swedish song for the kids

5. Following the meeting, another program, this time, a more interactive one, was held. Elisabeth and Marianne talked about their country, Sweden, and the students and staff asked questions – plenty of questions. And the two were willing to answer them. The kids sang. Elisabeth and Marianne also sang some Swedish songs and danced.

6. When we completed the interactive session, the students and the staff assembled in front of the school building for the visitor to present the gifts they brought for the school.

Marianne and Elisabeth posing with students on the school’s future-home site

7. Following that, the staff and a few of the students went with Elisabeth and Marianne to the school’s own land on which it is planning to build a modern school building for the kids.

8. After visiting the site, the guests and the staff went back on the campus to have lunch – rice and fried potato greens. It was delicious!

Elisabeth and Marianne eating potato greens and rice

It is said that “every good thing must come to an end,” so it was with the first day. After we had had lunch, we all went back to our various places. Of course, the next day’s activities were on our minds.

All in all, we all – the visitors, the staff, the parents and the kids – had a wonderful time together on the first day.

Watch out for the article and the photos for Day Two soon.

Pictures from the day (click to see larger images)

Our school, Help Liberia Foundation Community School, will next week receive a four-person delegation from Europe.

The visiting guests, headed by Elisabeth Thorne who is a psychologist and psychotherapist, are all coming from Sweden and will be in Liberia for about two weeks, from March 24 – April 7.

Elisabeth Thorne

Paul and Elisabeth have been communicating about this visit since December 2012, and it is wonderful to know that it will be a reality.

Elisabeth once lived in Liberia, specifically in Buchanan, for ten years when she was a child. That was a long time ago – long before the war started. She had been thinking about how to give back to Buchanan and, then, luckily, she heard about our school through some friends who are already assisting the school in some ways and she, too, has decided to help.

She has been working with the treatment of traumatized people and children of traumatized parents for many years in Sweden.

Those coming with Elisabeth are Lena Marner, Elisabeth’s sister; Anders, Lena’s husband; and Marianne, a friend of theirs, who also works with children in Sweden.

More information later.

Our school in Buchanan, Help Liberia Foundation Community School, has taken another small, but interesting, step in its existence and, that is, it has introduced the wearing of Physical Education (PE) uniform.

The kids with their PE T-Shirts

The wearing of PE uniform is one of the things that schools require their students to do in Liberia, but our school, until recently, was not doing it for many reasons. As the Bible says, “Everything has time,” and because the right time has come, our school has introduced it as part of its dress code. Everyone, especially the kids, are excited about it.

Girls with their PE Uniform

The dress code is that the PE T-Shirt (provided by the school), should be worn with white, blue or red shorts; white, blue or red socks; and white or black sneakers. However, because most of the kids in our school come from poor background, their parents cannot afford outfit, which causes many of the students to use the PE T-Shirt with anything they have, including slippers and old jeans trousers.

Kids wearing PE T-Shirts sitting in class

The major thing is that our kids have started using PE T-Shirts, which is an important requirement in Liberian schools. Many thanks to all those who are helping us to help the kids!

In a non-related development, we wish to inform everyone that our school’s late Vice Principal for Instructions, Esau Wleh, has been buried. We wish to thank all of you for your condolences, encouragement and prayers during the period of bereavement.

Profound sorrow and befuddlement is currently consuming the staff, students and parents of Help Liberia Foundation School, as the unmerciful hands of death has touched Mr. Esau Wleh, one of the school’s senior staffers.

Mr. Esau Wleh, wearing the red T-shirt

Mr. Esau Wleh, who was serving as the school’s Vice Principal for Instructions before his death, had worked with the school for more than five years. He was an able and dedicated staffer, always working in the interest of the school.

The late Wleh had an on-and-off illness for months. A few weeks ago, his condition worsened and he was rushed to hospital and stayed there for days. At one point, news came that he had died, but it was later discovered to be untrue. Elation and jubilation engulfed staffers, students and parents. He recovered and resumed work.

However, his condition worsened again and he was rushed to Monrovia for treatment. He died yesterday morning, 19th January. It is a known fact that he died from an illness, but it has not been definitely established what kind of illness he had.

Funeral arrangement is being made. More information later.

The Parent-Teacher Association (P-T.A) of Help Liberia Foundation Community School has held its fourth meeting since the start of the 2012/2013 academic year, with parents thanking the school for helping to provide education to their children.

Principal addresses parents and guardians

The meeting, which brought together school staff, parents and guardians, discussed various issues, including their children’s attendance, tardiness, behavior and performance.

The school administration encouraged parents and guardians to make sure that their children be regular, neat and well-behaved, as the school staff are not in the various homes the kids live in, with the Principal saying, “You have to help us have a good school, and that also entails making your children come to school on time, come to school well-dressed and come to school well-behaved.”

Staff, parents and guardians after the PTA conference

Parents and staff, especially parents, were overjoyed when the Executive Director of the school, Mr. Paul Yeenie Harry finally announced that a five-year-lease agreement had been paid on the building. The announcement was greeted with a hand of applause that lasted for minutes. The elation was unavoidably visible.

All present expressed their appreciation to all the people whose contribution helped the school to raise the money needed for the rent payment and appealed to them to continue to help the school and the kids in any way they can.

At the end of the meeting, parents were given their children’s progress reports. nearly one hundred of the students went on the honor roll list.