Tag Archives: Sweden

Our international contact persons in Europe and sponsors of the school and the kids, Lena and Anders, a Swedish husband and wife who have been assisting the kids since they came in contact with the school more than four years ago, arrived in Liberia for a one-week visit to the country they so love to come to.

Anders unpacking the items for delivery to Paul at Libassa, as Lena with her Liberian hair plait looks on

Lena and Anders, who arrived on April 10, came with a team that wanted to undertake a project in Liberia.  Because their one-week schedule was very tight, they were unable to visit the school and spend some time with the kids and the staff, as they had always done. Notwithstanding, they turned over to Paul the items they brought with them, including things they themselves brought and those donated by others. They also brought special gifts from Swedish sponsors to the kids they sponsor in the school.

Anders giving basketballs to Paul

The items they brought include footballs, basketballs, football pumps, basketball nets, phones, etc.

Anders and Lena showing Paul the items they have donated

Paul received the items from Lena and Anders in Libassa Ecolodge, a jungle-like resort area located by the sea in Marshall. It is a must-see area that Paul, as well as Lena and Anders, would encourage travelers to Liberia to spend their summer vacation.

Anders, Lena and Paul with the donated items

Anyway, Lena and Anders left Liberia for Sweden on Sunday, April 17, but they plan to return to Liberia in November, at which time they will visit the school and interact with the kids and the staff.

Paul and Anders holding some basketball materials

On April 9 this year, we – my husband Anders (his Bassa name is “Ah Bah,” meaning “our father”) and I (my Bassa name is “Ah Dey,” meaning “our mother” in Bassa) – had the opportunity to visit the school for the third time in one year. As always, when visiting the school, we felt very welcome. The children, staff and parent association greeted us with songs.

Doris Hills, Rita’s mother, making statement during the program (Photo by Lena)

After the welcome songs and other activities, some parents, including Madam Doris Hills and Madam Mary Tugbeh, also gave speeches.  Doris is the mother of student Rita, a girl we are sponsoring in the school, while Mary is the grandmother of Augustine, a little boy we are also sponsoring in the school. What a moment of joy and happiness!

Along with us was a group of Swedish people whom we had brought with us to visit the school during the trip. Some of them had lived in Liberia long time ago and others were visiting Liberia for the first time ever.

Mary Tugbeh, Augustine’s grandmother, speaking at the program (photo by Lena)

At the end of the engagement with the children, the group accompanying us had the opportunity of sitting in a classroom to learn the spelling and pronunciations of their new Bassa names. This was a very special gift from the school to us Swedes, for giving something that means something is highly appreciated, and it is the most valuable of all gifts. I certainly know they were very happy about the visit to the school.

One of the most positive things with the school is seeing so many familiar faces. It is great to know that parents are involved in the school. Education and knowledge is one of the key things for a good life; another key thing for a good life is health.

Student Augustine (sponsored by us) saying a recitation at the program (Photo by Lena)

It is amazing to see that even the small children understand the importance of education.  I observed on their part a huge willingness to learn, and this is a very, very good sign. There is a need for them to be encouraged and helped in whatever way possible.

And I understand the parents struggle to keep their children in school. It is not easy in a country that is in the process of rebuilding itself after years of civil wars when so much was destroyed.

The Swedish guests being taught their Bassa names (Photo by Lena)

Meeting the children, staff and parents at HLF School fills my heart with joy, and I am confident that these smart and kind children, who are the future of Liberia, will contribute to sustainable growth in Liberia, one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

We look forward to meeting them next time.  Until then, we say to them, “Study hard; have fun and take care.”

Staff member Andrew Garsuah teaching the guests their Bassa names (Photo by Lena)

We will always remember the day we visited Help Liberia School Foundation. We came in a little bus together with other persons who had lived in Liberia as children. As we drove down to the school, we could see all the pupils waving, singing and clapping their hands with joy.

Roland and Kerstin

We could never have had a warmer welcome. It was difficult not to let our eyes get full of tears. The school had prepared for our visit and everything was very well-organized.

Unfortunately, Roland and I were not so well-prepared for our speeches, but we spoke from our hearts directly to the children, and we hope they appreciated what we said.

The school’s cook serving the kids with food (photo by Kerstin and Roland)

We talked about all the years we had been waiting and longing to go back to Liberia. We told the children that we had lived in Yekepa when we were kids and about how we loved that time. We also tried to encourage the children about the importance of education.

We were given Bassa names. Roland got the name Teedo – “one day”,  and I, Kerstin, got the name Dekontee – “everything has time”. Wonderful names.

The school hosting a welcome program in honor of our Swedish guests (photo by Kerstin and Roland)

After all the speeches, we had the joy of playing and dancing with the children to a Swedish song. Then it was time for all the gifts to be distributed. Once again, Roland and I were not properly prepared.

When we left Sweden, we had the intention to give most of our gifts to some school in Yekepa; therefore, we did not have so much to give that day. But when we saw the importance of the school (HLF School), the work they do and the needs the children have, we decided to give all we had to HLF School and the children. Our things – school equipment, toys, etc. – were distributed later on and we know that everything came to the right place.

We had a fantastic day, full of emotions. We will continue to follow the work and progress of the school and try to help the best we can.

Interior view of one of the classrooms in our school (photo by Kerstin and Roland)

Note from Paul, school director:

Kerstin and Roland are two of the Swedish guests who visited our school in April this year. They came with Lena and Anders. They are the ones who gave the special gifts that we wrote about here.

We extend our profound thanks to Roland and Kerstin for taking the time to write about their experience with the kids and the staff at the school. We encourage others who have visited our school to write something for publication on our site.

After having made individual donations to staff and kids through the school in full view of parents and community residents, two of our seven Swedish guests – Roland and his sister Kerstin – made an additional donation of gifts to the children in the school.

Students standing in line before the distribution

This second special donation was made about one week after the general donations were made on April 10, 2014, at the school in Buchanan. Roland and Kerstin had originally planned to donate the items to a school they had heard was existing in Nimba County in northern Liberia.

However, upon their return to Monrovia, after their interactions with the staff and kids in our school, they called Lena and said, “We realized that Help Liberia Foundation Community School is a very good school. The students and the staff are wonderful people. Besides, we are not sure of the status of the northern Liberian school that we are planning to take these gifts to. Therefore, we have decided to give them to your school (referring to HFL Community School).”

Distributing the gifts

We at the Help Liberia Foundation Community School consider this donation a special one in that it was made after serious reflections about the school and its activities. The fact that Roland and Kerstin kept it for a different school, but later decided to donate it to the kids in our school makes it even more special.

Because the items were given to Lena in Monrovia after everyone had already left Buchanan, Lena brought them to Paul on the campus of the University of Liberia, where he teaches and also studies law, and relayed Roland and Kerstin’s message, saying: “Roland and Kerstin gave me these items and told me to give them to you so that you can distribute them among the kids so that each child in the school can have at least one of the items. This is their (Roland and Kerstin’s) wish and instruction. Please do as they have recommended.”

Students receiving more gifts

Paul received the items on behalf of the school and the kids and thanked the donors, through Lena, promising to take the items to Buchanan. And, so, as agreed upon, the items were taken to Buchanan and distributed as indicated by the Roland and Kerstin.

The items included toy cars, caps, eye glasses, marker pens, toy basketballs and nets, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rules, soap bubble jars, stickers, hand bags of varying types and sizes, teddy bears of varying types and sizes, etc.

Students with some of their gifts

We are grateful to Roland and his sister Kerstin for their humanitarian gesture toward the kids. The gifts were enough to cover all the children present; every kid received at least three items and they were happy to have them.

Click on pictures below to see a larger version.