Photo credit: Moses Bailey
-Residents of Brooklyn Community benefit
By P. Clarence Jackson latifahkpah172@gmail.com
Access to proper toilet and other sanitary facilities remains a major challenge in Liberia.
As part of efforts to contribute meaningfully to some of the challenges facing the Liberia’s central city of Gbarnga in Bong County, the Rotary Club of Gbarnga on has dedicated a newly Toilet facility constructed for residents of the Brooklyn Community.
Speaking at the dedicatory ceremony on Tuesday, the Manager of the project Reverend Victor G. Padmore said, the over US$5,000.00 toilet facility was the result of an assessment by the Rotary Club and the need to improve the sanitary condition in the Community.
Reverend Padmore commended resident s of the Brooklyn Community for their efforts and contributions that made the implementation of the project a reality.
“This project would not have been successful had it not being for the many contributions by you members of the community,”
For his part, the outgoing President of the Rotary Club of Gbarnga Rupert Surian presented the keys of the facility to the Gbarnga City Corporation for on ward submission to the community.
Mr. Surian described the dedication of the toilet project a great day not only for the Rotary club of Gbarnga but also for residents of the Brooklyn Community.
Outgoing Gbarnga Rotary Club President Rupert Surin
Surian said, the Rotary club has also strive to meet the need and aspiration of communities, and pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Anthony Siakor doing who Presidency the project was initiated.
He said the project was funded by members of the Rotary club of Gbarnga and its partner from the Rotary club of thousand town in the United States of America.
The outgoing Gbarnga Rotary Club President further challenged residents of the Community through the Gbarnga City Corporation to take ownership of the project by ensuring that the facility is always clean.
Mr. Surian commended Rotarians of Gbarnga for their contribution towards the implementation of the project.
The Rotary Club of Gbarnga also presented toiletries to residents of the community to be used to jump start the usage of the toilet.
Mr. Surian noted that the services of the Rotary club of Gbarnga were not limited to Gbarnga alone, “adding that there is an ongoing project along the Gbarnga- Melekie highway valued at US$27,000.00.
He also named Balama in Suakoko district and Gbarlatuah in Zota district as areas where the Rotary Club of Gbarnga distributed reading glasses to several persons.
Receiving the keys to the toilet facility, an official of the Gbarnga City Council Mrs. Debah Vapilah praised the Rotary Club for such an initiative and pledged the City Council’s commitment to working with the City Corporation and residents of the Community to always keep the facility clean.
She called on other Philanthropist organizations in the City to emulate the example of the Rotary club of Gbarnga by making interventions in our communities in the city.
For her part, the Chair of the Community, Madam Mabel Malayea, who was in a jubilant mood, described the dedication of the facility as a history making moment for the community and its residents.
“I don’t even know how to say thanks to the Rotary club because when I was firstly informed about this project, I taught is was a joke but here we are today, to God be the glory,” the local community leader sa Malayea said.
Mrs. Malayea assured the Rotary Club of Gbarnga that all will be done to protect and maitian the facility.
“ Let me in this public manner inform all of you that access to this toilet will not be free because we have to charge small fess that will be used to pay people maintain the facility”
Madam Malayea said, there are six quarters in the community and expressed the hope that the project will be extended to other quarters but that will depend on how the first facility will be maintained.
Brooklyn Community Chair Mabel Malayea
Rotary Club of Monrovia is a subsidiary of Rotary International, which is an international service organization with a membership of 1. 2 million. Its stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders, in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
It is a non-political and non-sectarian organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. There are 34,282 member clubs worldwide.
Members of the club, who are called Rotarians. usually gather weekly for breakfast, lunch, or dinner to fulfill their first guiding principle to develop friendships as an opportunity for service.