By Trokon Freeman/trokonfreeman@gmail.com/0777973957/0886973957
Two of five underprivileged Liberian students, who benefitted from three years of sponsorship by a teenager’s charitable organization, have expressed excitement that they will soon be completing high school/ secondary school in Liberia.
Israela Foundation, founded in 2016 by 13 year old Israela Tarway, has been providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable children in the country.
Lawrence Jackson and Success Kollie, ages 19 and 21 respectively, recently sat the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCEE), and are awaiting their results.
Their success in the examinations eventually qualifies them for graduation.
Speaking in an interview with reporters in Monrovia on Thursday, Miss Success Kollie of Barnesville based James Chelley High School, said it was through Israela that she’s about to complete high school.
Success, who desires on becoming a medical Doctor, told reporters that she’s the only child of her poverty stricken mother who has an opportunity to attend school.
“It’s very hard to say. I don’t think it was possible to reach this far. It’s because of Israela that I’m about to graduate from high school today. I’m from a very poor family. My mother has five children and I am the only person in school now. The rest of my brothers are out there doing nothing. I can remember in 2016 I was not in school,” the young Liberian female student said.
Success Kollie is appealing to the CDC-led government and other prominent citizens of Liberia to provide support to the Israela Foundation in order to continue its humanitarian work.
“I want to ask the government of Liberia, the first lady of Liberia and other citizens to assist this foundation so that it can do more for the children of Liberia,” she added.
For his part, Lawrence Jackson of the G. W. Gibson public High School said he had been out of school for nearly three academic years before being assisted by the Israela Foundation.
Like Success, Lawrence said he comes from a poor family, but remains optimistic that the foundation will still support him acquire university education.
“My aunt spoke to me about Israela. I met her and I asked her to help me pay my school fees and she agreed. That’s how I started going to school again. She provides the fees, uniform, shoes, book bags and others. I’m not from a family that is reach. My mom has six children,” Lawrence explained.
At age 21, Lawrence still believes that the 13-year-old kid can sponsor him in university.
“I feel innovative. Because I know from this level I know she can help me to push my education at the university level,” the G.W. Gibson high school student said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the Israela Foundation, Israela Tarway said she doesn’t feel happy to see her peers sit home while she goes to school.
The Liberian child lauded the sponsors of her foundation for helping her pursue her dream, while seeking more financial intervention to help more kids.
“I’m happy because I least I have the opportunity to send some children to school. Right now people might say that the little girl who is 13 year old is sponsoring children beyond her age; it’s about the future of those children out there who do not have the support to attend school,” said little Israela.
“I really want to help every child in Liberia get education, but our country is faced with serious economic challenges.”
Israela continued: “I want to thank my sponsors for their support. It’s through their assistance that Success and Lawrence are about to complete high school. Let me say thanks to The City of Light Church of Barnesville, Madam Ruth Bowier, Attorney George Bobby Kailondo, Jamilatu Konneh and others for their unflinching support for helping my foundation”.
On September 21, 2018, little Israela Tarway was nominated for the International Children Peace Price 2018 by Kids Rights in Amsterdam.
Israela, an 8th Grade student of the Spiritan Acadamy in Monrovia, said she was
moved by a UNICEF’s report, which rated Liberia as a country with 62% of
children out of school.
“While I was searching on the internet, I found out that there are more
children out of school in Liberia than any other place in Africa.
She said her
passion for education was nurtured at age seven, purposing in mind to help
underprivileged children gain access to education.
“Supporting children I started at the age of seven.
I think it is a good idea to help children who do not have the kind of support
some of us have.”
In September 2017, she awarded two scholarships to girls affected by the twin natural disasters that hit some parts of Freetown on August 14th, 2017.
Speaking during a meeting with Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh at his Tower Hill office in Freetown, Israella Tarway expressed her deepest condolence on behalf of the children of Liberia to the vice President and people of Sierra Leone for the Monday August 14th natural disaster, in which hundreds of lives were destroyed while thousands were left homeless.
“Today, I’m offering scholarship to two girls who have lost their parents in this disaster and I will help them with three hundred dollars for their school expenses,” she said.
Receiving Isreala J.S Tarway from Liberia, Vice President Dr. Victor Bockarie Foh welcomed the young girl and thanked her for coming to sympathize with Sierra Leone, and by extension to give out two scholarships to her colleague girl children affected by the mudslides and flood disaster.
The vice president added that last week, a young girl, Naasu Kuyateh, perhaps a bit younger than Israela, set a bright example by donating all her money given to her father in recognition of her good performance in school.
She said the lad donated a cash of one hundred and fifty thousand Leones towards children affected by the natural disaster in Sierra Leone.
“Today again, we have Israela Tarway from our sister country ,Liberia, coming with a kind goodies worthy by awarding two scholarships to girls who lost their parents in the natural disaster on the black Monday of August 14th ,” he said.
Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh, referred to Isreala’s donation as wonderful, stating that it will help the beneficiary girls to be educated and become productive and better citizens of the country.
During her three- day visit to Sierra Leone, the young Liberian philanthropist and humanitarian, visited the Old Skol compound in the West end of Freetown where hundreds of mudslides and flood disaster victims are housed ,Don Bosco Fambul, Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation amongst other places.
During her time with the children at Old Skool, Israella J. S Tarway, taught them how to design slippers with African lappas, Rubber ban designs, among other things.