Here’s an article that appeared in the Daily Observer, a Liberian newspaper based in Monrovia, on August 9, shortly after Isaac got home from his latest trip to the school site. Click on the photo to see the entire article.
Or, if you’re finding that difficult to read, here’s the online version:
The next four posts are about Isaac Monah’s trip to Liberia in July, to check out the progress of the project and see if construction of the classroom buildings could be speeded up. Isaac returned to Ohio on August 4.
Jacques C.O. Adegbidi, left, with Isaac Monah at the Dougbe River school site.
During Isaac’s July visit to Liberia, a United Nations official stationed in Grand Gedeh County visited the school site and met with residents of Twarbo Region. Jacques C.O. Adegbidi, a regional mission support officer of the U.N. Mission in Liberia, told Isaac he was moved by conditions in what he called “the forgotten villages” and would do what he can to help.
There are various possibilities for direct or indirect U.N. help for the Dougbe River project, from the use of equipment to improvements to the infrastructure of the area — in particular, those bridges that keep giving us problems. Chinese U.N. engineers have inspected the bridges and talked to area residents about their needs, so we’re hopeful about that.
The U.N. has already helped us in one significant way. When it was time for Isaac to return to the United States, Mr. Adegbidi arranged for him to ride in a U.N. vehicle for the difficult 13-hour drive from Zwedru to the Liberian capital of Monrovia and his flight out of the country. That’s a journey that has caused us trouble in the past.
Mr. Adegbidi, who is from the West African nation of Benin, meets Twarbo Region residents.
During Mr. Adegbidi's visit, he and Isaac had powder applied to their heads in a purification ritual intended to bring them good luck.
As you can see, the classroom building is now taller than Isaac.
The beginnings of the principal's house, which will have a cement floor.
Actually, we’re now in the construction process on three buildings. The originally planned eight-classroom building is now going to be two buildings — one with five classrooms, the other with three classrooms, an office and a library. The third building will be a house for the principal and for guests. The plan calls for other teachers to live in the villages and walk to and from school with the students.
These will be the only buildings on the campus during the initial phase of operation, when the Dougbe River school will be a “commuter school,” able to serve students who live close enough to walk. Essentially, this means the villages of Sayuo, Buway and Whybo. (The 150 acres contributed to the project by the people of Twarbo Region are partly in Buway, partly in Sayuo.)
After these buildings are up, we can work on hiring teachers and opening the school. Another short-term need is a truck, which will facilitate construction and a host of other things, including access to medical care in Zwedru, which is four or five hours away over terrible roads. The orphanage building (separately funded by Mary Hall) and dormitories (for which we need to raise a lot of money) will follow.
Below, more photos of the construction process, and the people of Twarbo Region working to make this school a reality.
On July 25, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve endorsed the Dougbe River Presbyterian School project as a validated mission. We’re grateful for this recognition and for all of the support we’ve received from groups in the Presbytery.
Really, this acknowledges an existing relationship, or rather a series of growing relationships. Fourteen of the churches that have contributed to the project are members of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, although we have also received support from other presbyteries, congregations in other denominations, schools and individual donors. This mission began at Noble Road Presbyterian Church, where the average attendance at Sunday worship is about 40. As a mission of Noble Road, it would have been quixotic, to say the least. But it is no longer just Noble Road’s mission, and really hasn’t been for a couple of years now. Together with our partners, we are big enough to not fail, and we will not fail.
This seems like an appropriate time to say thank you to everyone who has helped us. Some of us feel a Spirit at work in our progress. Definitely, the spirit of generosity in a lot of kind people has propelled us forward. Thank you.
John Luttermoser
Secretary of the General Board
Dougbe River Presbyterian School
Some of the children show off their flip-flops. The money the little girl in the middle of the frame is holding is a Liberian 20-dollar bill, which in U.S. dollars is worth about 28 cents.
He also brought flip-flops for some of the children of Twarbo Region. Sixty-three pairs were donated by the congregation of West Berlin Presbyterian Church in Delaware, Ohio. Dr. Scott McGraw, an Ohio State University anthropology professor who is on the Dougbe River project’s board, has done a lot of research in west Africa and was instrumental in Isaac’s immigration to the United States, is a member at West Berlin.
Having something on your feet can be important in Africa, where infections from worms are a significant health issue.
The walls of the classroom building are going up, as you can see. Contractor Eric Waylee reports that planks for the roof are being produced, as well.
Bridges are still a problem. And Eric's email today (June 8 ) says that overall, "the road is a serious problem that we all underestimated in this project."
Some photos from the “Sidewalk Challenge” fund-raiser at Roxboro Elementary School that I mentioned in the previous post.
Prize winners in the T-shirt design contest at Roxboro.
Ruby Kauffman with Isaac Monah and her winning T-shirt design.
The Dougbe River project has received another big boost from the children of Roxboro Elementary School in Cleveland Heights. On Saturday, April 30, Roxboro held a “Sidewalk Challenge” fund-raising event. Several dozen students participated in games and a one-mile walk around the Roxboro neighborhood, and they raised $780. Many thanks to the students, the adult volunteers (many associated with Roxboro or Noble Road Presbyterian Church) and the event’s organizers — Roxboro principal Tara Grove and Parma-South Presbyterian Church elder Susan Rhee. Tara and Susan are both members of the Dougbe River board.
Some of the money came from advance sales of a T-shirt designed by Roxboro student Ruby Kauffman, whose art was selected from many entries. We’re selling the shirts for $10; orders are being accepted at john@drpsl.org.
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time — photos of construction of the classroom building. Our contractor and volunteers have been hard at work on the foundation of the classroom building and have made a lot of bricks, as you can see. Click on any photo to blow it up nice and big.
