PHOTO: Dr. Gracie-Ann Dikins and children & parents in Margibi
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- Kutoa Afrika Foundation is partnering with the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation to create educational opportunity for school going kids in Konoquelleh Clan, Cinta Township, Margibi County.
The assertion was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Kutoa Afrika Foundation, Dr. Gracie-Ann Dikins, when women of the Clan called on her to buttress the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation quest for quality education for their children in that rural part of Liberia.
The kids, according to their parents, have never sat in a classroom since birth.
Dr. Dinkins disclosed that the number one goal of the women is to have educational opportunities created for their children.
“They have a building that is finished, painted without teachers without supply and three of the doors have been stolen, they want this to go forward they want to have school with teachers for their children; a very extremely concern that all the kids and I saw about maybe seventy kids all under the age of eight no schooling,” she explained.
According to her, Woryan Town constitute a crisis adding that Kutoa responds to communities in crisis and as such, her organization is partnering with BRYF and the citizens to get the kids enroll in school and prepare them for future challenges.
Dr. Dinkins further indicated that with the involvement of the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation, the citizens and the Kutoa Afrika Foundation, which has three years history of responding to communities in crisis, they have all of the ingredients they need to achieve what each group wants.
She narrated that BRYF has a mission, Kutoa has a mission and Woryan Town has a mission as well noting that collectively they can impact the lives of the villagers.
She assured the Konoquelleh Clan residents that upon her return she will inform the leadership of Kutoa that the community has a educational and financial crisis and that the Foundation could partner with the citizens and BRYF to transform the community and the lives of its people.
In a related development, Dr. Dinkins has committed Kutoa Afrika Foundation for being willing to support the BRYF Farming for Us Project especially for the empowerment of the women to make them self-sufficient.
She said the project will enable the citizens generate funds to be able to address some of the educational needs of the Clan.
“After the meeting we had today, it appears that men and the women especially Woryan has decided to concentrate on cassava because they feel that that’s the crop that will do the best in this kind of soil and also has the least amount of work and effort and also yield to them a profit that they will now start to use to build the community fund to the school,” Dr. Dinkins added.
She maintained that at that point Kutoa can also step in and match that fund and help them to acquire the school supplies, teacher salaries and things that the students need.
The Trauma Surgeon promised to work within the planting period so the farmers can have the materials needed to cultivate more land space.
She challenge them (the women) to make use of the opportunity provided them by the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation.
Dr. Dinkins was welcomed traditionally and gowned by the women of the Clan for her support to them over the years.
She expressed excitement for the warm welcome she received and at the same time commended the BRYF team for the opportunity given her to travel to that part of Liberia.
It can be recalled that the US-based Trauma Surgeon and an Olympic-Class Track and Field Athlete with 400m holder through the kind courtesy of the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 paid a one day visit to Woryan Town, Konoquelleh Clan where the Foundation’s “Farming for Us Project” is established.
She has been supportive to the project and the women who have been engaged into farming on portion of the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation’s 20 acres of land as a way of empowering themselves.
The visit of Dr. Dinkins to the Village is a dream come through for the CEO/Founder of the Bill Rogers Youth Foundation, Amb. Bill Rogers who has on several occasions assured the citizens that one day the lady (Dr. Dinkins) who discovered him would visit the Village challenging them to be committed and united.