40,000 Modern Books From U.S. Arrive In Liberia

The President of the Grand Bassa County Association in the Americas, Mr. Jerome Z. Gayman, has underscored the Association’s commitment to the peace loving people of Grand Bassa County to help support quality education and better health care delivery system for the Liberian people especially Grand Bassa County.

Speaking at a well-organized and elaborate occasion held on Sunday at the Bassa High School Auditorium of the formal launch of the Liberia’s Branch of the Grand Bassa County in the Americas, Mr. Gayman disclosed that the Association in Americas in collaboration with the Indian River State Collage in Fort Pierce, Florida, USA has brought into the county 10,000 modern books and 100 computers for use by the Grand Bassa School System including the Bassa County Community College and other learning institutions in the county. He said out of the 40,000 modern books, 10,000 of the books have arrived in Monrovia waiting shipment to Buchanan City in Grand Bassa County.

Mr. Gaymen who the citizens described as people-centered, development-oriental, visionary, farsighted, nationalistic and patriotic Liberian, reaffirmed the USA Branch commitment to the people of Grand Bassa in impacting their living condition and bringing about positive changes in the county. Amidst unending applauses from the audience, Mr. Gayman told the people of Bassa that the consignment of 10,000 modern books and 100 computers have since arrived in the country and efforts were being made to have the consignment transported to Buchanan City for onward donation to the Grand Bassa School System.

He told the people of Bassa that the books were donated from several of the partners of Grand Bassa County Association, saying that college text books were donated from the Indian River State Collage, in Fort Pierce, Florida, while the college also donated 50 computers to its sister College of Grand Bassa County Community College. He also added that St. Lucie County in Florida also donated 50 computers to its sister College of Grand Bassa County Community College. In addition, the St. Lucie County School District donated 1000 books to school district of Grand Bassa, to benefit kingdom and elementary levels. Lincoln Park Academy, also a St. Lucie County District School,

donated 1000 books. He disclosed that the total of books donated were 40,000. However, 10,000 (Ten Thousand) were shipped to Bassa. “I am also here to work with stake holders to continue the work on our Health Center being built in Desoe Town, Northern Grand Bassa County. The Chairman of our Board of Directors is, Dr. Zachariah Z. Gaye. Dr. Gaye is also the Vice President of Academic Affairs, GBCC.” According to him, the Grand Bassa County Association in the Americas is deeply concerned in and is fully prepared to buttress the national drive to ensure that the reading culture becomes a vivid and praiseworthy exercise through which all Liberians in general and citizens of Grand Bassa County in particular will glow among nations of the world thereby being fruitful products of Alexander Pope’s vision that reading makes a ready man. Besides the books and computers, Mr. Gayman said the Association in Americas is currently constructing a hospital in Dosoe Town, in District Number Three to serve the healthy needs of the people of Grand Bassa and other nearby by counties including Nimba and Bong.

Construction works on the facility, he added, has reached the roof level. In addition to our effort in county development, Mr. Gayman said we are offering a full scholarship in the department of Nursing, in memorium of Dr. Federick White, who passed away before the health center for which he so passionately worked is completed. Ms. Delores Hogan Johnson, an educator with the St. Lucie County School District, serves as the Co-Chair of the organization. “We began our scholarship program originally at Mother Parten School of Health Scviences, where two students: Ms. Alice Peters has benefited, earning an "AS and Bsc" degress.

Alice is now doing her Masters in Nursing: Ms. Wongbe Smith is finishing her Bsc, also in Nursing. Through our partnership with Indian River State College, Ms. Mary Sirmons, Director of Practical Nursing and Patient Care came and thought in the school of Nursing at GBCC, and made a commitment to return every year and contribute meaningfully to the full accreditation of the college. Again, he said three females from the county over three years have benefitted from a scholarship program to undergo studies in Nursing at Mother Parten School of Health Scviences in Monrovia.

The beneficiaries, he said have completed their studies and would be called upon to render their patriotic services as soon the hospital is completed and turned over to the government of Liberia. It can be recalled that in 2008, Mr. Gayman led a high-powered delegation from the Association’s Headquarters in the America to Liberia. During the visit, the delegation held a successful meeting with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleasf. She then expressed her appreciation to the Association to compliment the government’s effort in constructing a hospital in the county to address the medical needs of the people of Electoral District # 3, Grand Bassa County.

During the meeting, President Sirleaf thanked Mr. Gayman and his delegation for embarking on what she described as a patriotic duty to help in the development of the county, and encouraged the Association to do more for its people. Following the meeting with the president, the delegation met with the minister of Health and Social Welfare and his principal deputies as well as the Legislative Caucus of Grand Bassa County. Recounting the successes of the Association in the Americas, Mr. Gayman admonished the officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Liberian Branch to reaffirm their commitment and dedication in achieving the goals and objectives of the Association.

He told the officers and Board members that the Association’s focus is to bring positive change to the people of Bassa; therefore, he urged them to work harder and pay their dues for the smooth operation of the organization. He also encouraged the newly inducted officers to help recruit more members in the county, saying that the members of the Association is not only restricted to the citizens of the county but all residents of the county who have something positive to contribute to the development agenda of the county. Accounting to him, the Americas-based’ Branch is not only restricted to those who hailed from Bassa but its membership is opened to all people of colors including Americans,

Asian-Americans, African-Americans and others who support the dreams and aspirations of the Association which are centered on impacting the lives of the people of Bassa in a more productive, progressive and meaningful way. Speaking further, Mr. Gayman said Dr. White Foundation has awarded a life time scholarship to the Association to be given a Liberian to enroll at the Grand Bassa Community College until the student successfully completes his/or her studies. Currently, Moses Lewis is benefitting from the scholar program at the Bassa College Community College. The late Dr. White was a member of the Board of Directors of the Association in the Americas.

He was member of the delegation that visited Liberian in 2010 and held meeting with President Sirleaf. Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Gender and Development, Mrs. Julia Duncan -Cassell praised the USA’s branch for undertaking what she portrays as a unique project for the people of Bassa. The Minister who called for collective efforts in moving the county forward applauded Mr. Gayman’s leadership as well as members of the organization in Americas, adding that Mr. Gayman has a vision and is also farsighted. On behalf of the government and people of Grand Bassa County, Minister Duncan -Cassell pleaded the government commitment to compliment effort of the Grand Bassa County Association in Americas to complete the construction works on well-cherished hospital.

She used the occasion to appeal to the USA-branch of the Association to help give a face-lift to their Bassa High School which she dubbed as a “power of life”, propounding : Jerome, I want to thank you and your committed officers”. At the same time, Grand Bassa County Electoral District # 5 Representative, Mr. Robertson Siaway called on the newly inducted officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Liberian branch to work assiduously to enable the Liberian branch achieve its objectives.

The Bassa lawmaker who attended two successive bi-annual conventions in the United States of America numerated his own involvement in securing the consignment of the books from the Indian River State College in Florida. He praised the Association for the courtesy accorded him during his visit in America. According to the lawmaker, he would not be so selfish to have made a request that will benefit him instead of the majority of the Bassa people, stressing that we should learn to put the need of our people above our personal and self needs.

He used the occasion to encourage members of the Board of Directors and the newly inducted officers to work very hard, commit themselves to the goals and aspirations of the Liberian branch, saying that the successes and failures of the Association rest in their hands. Also speaking at the occasion, the president of the Grand Bassa Community College, Dr. Levi Zangar calls for a unique team work which he said is the secret of achievement. He cautions them to move the Association forward to higher height where the dreams and vision of the American branch will reflect a proud and envious beacon of legacy.

He reminded the inducted officers that they cannot achieve any success if they failed to work as a team. He used the occasion to warmly commend the American branch and its partners who continue to think about the people of Grand Bassa County. Describing the Grand Bassa County Association in Americas as a “trail blazer” Dr. Zangar said the work of the association will go down in history. He said the Community College benefitted from an exchange of a nursing professor who he said was very engaged with the college during her time at the College. In his oration, the guest speaker, Dr. Zachariah Z. Gaye, who is also the Vice President of Academic Affairs, GBCC Dr. Gaye recounted the numerous achievements of the Association and gave a brief history of the organization. Dr. Gaye is the Chairman of the Board of Director of the American branch. He used his speech to give a vivid picture on how decisions were reached to build the hospital in District Number Five in the County, and therefore warned against politicizing the location of the Hospital.