*Representative Gabriel Smith

By: Nat Nyuan-Bayjay,nbayjay2010@gmail.com (231-77-402737)

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County-

A jubilant mood descended on the Township of Paynesbury, located on the outskirt of the provincial port city of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County, as the 12 towns and villages of that remote and isolated area witnessed the unveiling ceremony of the township’s first ever school building. The cost: US$8,000.

Buchanan is the country’s second largest city, which contains the country’s second largest port and has the highest population among Liberia’s provincial capitals. It is also the provincial capital of Grand Bassa County, one of the first three original counties of Liberia.

Constructed through the German Embassy, with the influence of Grand Bassa County Representative Gabriel Smith (Liberty Party-LP), the Paynesbury Community School is a new four-classroom building that will finally bring formal education to dozens of school-going children most of whose future, until Friday, remained bleak due to the fact that there didn’t exist a single school for them.

Paynesbury is a conglomeration of 12 towns and villages on the outskirts of Buchanan, an approximate 15 minute-drive from the port city. It is a deserted township due to its location in what seems like a barren massive stretch of land, but with just a dozen towns and villages. However, attaining any form of education for the young children of the township requires either walking for over one and a half hours to get to the nearest school in Buchanan or no schooling at all.

According to most of the children, it was a dream-come-true since it was their first time to have the opportunity to attend a school. For the strong ones who had been enduring the long walking distance to get to any of the schools in Buchanan, it was a real relief.

Solomon Williams, a third grader said: “At least I will not be walking from here to go to Otis Spot (a community in Buchanan) every morning to go to school. I too happy for the school where the representative bring in our place”.

But more relieved were the locales of the township who danced, sang and showed their utmost gratitude firstly to God, and then to the German Government and Representative Smith for the construction of the primary school.

According to the County Education Officer, Mr. Chapman Adams, the locals themselves built the school. They presented several gifts to their ‘idols’ which included three chickens, a walking rod and a symbol of the community’s key.

“If I Had This Chance”

Speaking on behalf of the locales during a dedicatory and ribbon-cutting program through an interpreter (as he spoke the Bassa vernacular), Pastor Tarr Williams said: “If I had this chance, there would be no need for anyone to be standing by my side to interpret what I have to say to you. We the people of Paynesbury are very excited and don’t know how to express the level of joy in us. This is because this is the first time that our children will have a school in this place”.

Pastor Williams’ logical and wise saying chilled the entire dedicatory program as he lamented what he termed as the unfortunate situation of not having the opportunity to achieve at least a primary education. He said, “Liberia is lacking behind in development. Grand Bassa County is nowhere in development. But Paynesbury is the worst of them all. We have been cut off from the rest of the county as if no one lives here. But God will reward every one of you who have blessed us with this school, especially our lawmaker who repaired our one and only broken bridge”. He was referencing the rehabilitation of the newly reconditioned bridge that was had been damaged and further worsened their isolation plight a few months ago. It was however repaired by the Ministry of Public Works following Representative Smith’s appeal to the Ministry.

Representative Smith who helped urge lawmakers to build a school in the township told locals that he was glad to be a part of history-making in the township. “I don’t have money to cater to all your needs but will continue to engage all friendly governments to help you in whatever way we can. That is why you trusted me”.

Swooping into his native Bassa vernacular, the Grand Bassa County lawmaker said, “We urge you residents to take advantage of this opportunity because you have just spoken of how you were deprived of attaining education”.

For his part, the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy told residents that he was happy to be among the first group of persons to dedicate the first school project to a deserving community. Mr. Herbert Edgar Staudt who traveled with Representative Smith on the 88 miles of terrible road from Monrovia to Buchanan said the exhaustive trip was indeed worth it.

Grand Bassa County Superintendent Julia Duncan Cassell expressed her gratitude to both the German Embassy and Representative Smith for the school project. She stated, “This would have come at no other better time than today when we are celebrating National Education Day”. She pledged to provide a generator to provide electricity for the school to avoid the building being idle during the night hours. This means that the older residents of the township will benefit from an adult literacy program.

Another project made possible via the German Embassy and Representative Smith’s collaborative initiative is a US$2,600 market building that was dedicated for marketers of a local market on Tubman Street, the city-center.

Marketers of the Zoegar Market, one of the oldest market halls in the city, danced and celebrated the dedication of a building that rescued them from the cruel sun and the heavy downpour of rain under which they sat to trade.

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