Rural Inhabitants Laud Lawmaker For Vocational Skills

Rural inhabitants in Gbarpolu County are lauding the County District Number One Representative for providing vocational training program in the county.

The citizens during the graduation of one of the training programs said the introduction of computer science education, professional driving and tailoring programs in Gbarpolu by Representative Alfred G. Koiwood has alleviated some of the challenges being faced by them in obtaining vocational education.

The residents in separate statements noted that the introduction of the vocational training program in Gbarpolu County has paved the way for job creation and cutdown expenditure of going to Monrovia to obtain further training.

Gbarpolu County is considered one of the most underdeveloped in Liberia and inhabitants mostly suffer from deplorable road condition during the rainy season, while higher education including vocational skill training is of major concern.

Gbarpolu County Professional and Vocational School is the first of its kind introduced by Representative Koiwood since 2011 and is providing skills training for residents from the three electoral districts.

“Since its inception, the school has graduated approximately 500 persons in the three disciplines it offers who are serving in various sectors, while others are self-employed,” John Bainda, Program Coordinator of the institution.

He said most students from the county find it challenging to pursue further education in Monrovia after their high school education due to financial limitations. But the school according to him is currently helping to fill such gap.

Over the weekend 34 persons were certificated and certified with drivers licenses in Jungle James Camp, in Bokomu, located in District Number Two Gbarpolu County for successfully completing a six month training program at Koiwoods’ institution.

Abu Konneh one of the beneficiaries told newsmen at the graduation ceremony of the driving school that the training program has not only added value to his life, but several others in the county.

Konneh said since he left high school four years ago, going to obtain higher education in Monrovia has been difficult due to financial constraint, noting that the school has served as a conduit to achieve his future goal.

“I don’t have money to go and stay in Monrovia to attend college, so since I left Bopolu Central High School I been doing farming. But I decided not to just sit, so I entered the driving school at the beginning of the year because the fee is not plenty and today I am a professional driver. I want to tell Representative Koiwood thanks for thinking about us,” Konneh said.

In the face of constraint to further their education elsewhere, another graduate, Rebecca Weah sees the school as an important instrument that can be used by several others residents in the county to advance themselves.

Madam Weah wants other officials in the county to follow the path of Representative Koiwood in providing education and other social needs for all.

“I don’t need to go to Monrovia or other areas to get computer knowledge, I can stay right here in Gbarpolu County and become a professional driver or know something about computer. If other officials in Gbarpolu can do similar thing like this, we will not worry to go to Monrovia, we can learn something firstly that will help us get money before going to Monrovia to university,” Rebecca stated.

However, Representative Koiwood has named the establishment of vocational education as his own way of contributing to the county.

Koiwood said the school is not only limited to his district, but the entire county, stressing the need of adding other programs soon.