Tag Archives: children

Last year, because one of the conditions set by the World Food Program (WFP) before giving food to our school was that we construct a kitchen, we decided to construct a little concrete kitchen.

Cook sharing food in the kitchen with its tarpaulin roof

The laying of blocks was started and completed, and the little structure was roofed and zincked. However, just around the time school could reopen, some criminals came at night and removed the entire roof, along with the zinc, and took it away.

The kitchen with tarpaulin on top of it

Following this incident, we bought a tarpaulin which we use on top of the kitchen whenever the cooks are preparing food for the kids, but which we remove and keep in the main school building once the cooking is finished and the kids have eaten.

The kitchen with its zinc roof

As a result of this criminal incident, we were advised by the community not to install doors of the classrooms of the annex, since the security guard sits in the main building at night and does not sit outside to keep watch over the annex.

Kitchen with tarpaulin

In fact, in the morning, we bring desks from the main building to be used by kids in the annex, but we take them back to the main building after school. We are scared that if the doors are placed on the annex, they will be stolen at night.

Below are some pictures showing students participating in devotion before the start of classes in the morning. Devotion is a regular pre-lesson exercise/program that takes place in the morning at most schools. It is the time during which songs are sung, Bible verses are read, encouraging words are delivered, and announcements are made.

Students singing the National Anthem during devotion

Students also hoist the Liberian flag and recite the Pledge.

It is also the time that students’ tardiness is checked by either the staff or the bigger students or just those leading devotion on that day. Students are usually in charge of the program, although they are monitored by staffers.

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Last year the World Food Program (WFP) began donating periodic food ration to Help Liberia Foundation Community School, thereby enabling the kids in our school to eat daily.

Kids in line for food at the kitchen

HLF School is one of few schools receiving food from WFP in Buchanan this school year. What is even more interesting is that WFP is giving rice, not bulgur wheat, this time around. The periodic food ration includes rice, beans, oil, salt and other items.

Second grade kids eating during recess

We have two cooks that prepare the food for the kids every day. Of course, the staffers do eat some, too. The food helps the kids to be regular in school. Besides, it is the meal greatly depended upon by most of them, as most of them come from poor families.

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Our profound thanks go to the World Food Program and its donors for enabling the kids to eat at school daily.

Last year, in an effort to continuously provide clean and safe drinking water to the kids in our school, a local NGO re-conditioned the school’s hand pump, which is located right in front of the building.

Three kindergarten kids posing at the newly renovated hand pump

The hand pump was re-dug; the pump itself was fixed, and the little elevated concrete structure which protectively surrounds the pump was also re-done. The hand pump is one of the school’s most essential facilitates, as the lack of safe drinking water is one of the major problems hunting the country.

A photo showing the position of the hand pump in front of the school building

Our hand pump was re-fixed by a non-governmental organization commonly known as MAP. Its full name is Medical Assistance Program International Liberia.

The hand pump during the re-conditioning process

We are grateful to MAP for the reconditioning of the hand pump, as the school always has safe drinking water right at its doorstep.

The hand pump during the re-fixing

Note from Paul Yeenie Harry: In the next few weeks, we will update you with things that happened at the school last year. They are things that happened, but which I could not write about because I had a serious computer problem. Although this problem persists, it is much better now, as I have a repaired one that I am using at the moment. We wish to thank you all for your understanding.

The pump in front of the school