Isaac Monah and Dirk Raateland of German Agro Action in front of the principal's house.

Isaac returned December 19 from a trip to Liberia to show the school site to a representative of German Agro Action, a non-profit that is working to help the people of southeast Liberia. Dirk Raateland of German Agro Action (or Welthungerhilfe, as it is known in Germany) gave us a lot of positive feedback and spoke with a radio reporter for the United Nations Mission in Liberia about his organization’s interest in the project.

German Agro Action plans to build latrines and hand-pumps for wells on our campus, and help with the roads and bridges between Twarbo Region and Ziah Town. The organization has a particular interest in constructing living quarters for teachers, having learned that this is a critical factor in sustaining schools in rural Africa.

Meanwhile, we’re close to finishing the two classroom buildings and the principal’s house/guest house.

A worker on the roof of one of the classroom buildings.

A good look at the zinc roof of one of the classroom buildings.

Scott and Isaac at the event in Des Moines

Over Labor Day weekend, Isaac Monah and Dougbe River board member Scott McGraw traveled to Des Moines, Iowa for a gathering of the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas. It was a valuable opportunity to promote the project among people from Grand Gedeh County, and Isaac was presented with a certificate of appreciation.

Grand Gedeh County is in eastern Liberia, and has a border with the nation of Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire).  The Dougbe River Presbyterian School is in Twarbo Region of Konobo District, the easternmost of three districts in Grand Gedeh County.

Or, if you’re finding that difficult to read, here’s the online version:

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.

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