Sixteen beneficiaries receive gift items for excellence in academic year 2008/09 – By Cletus Noah
VOS Office Manager

For more than three years now, the Volunteers of Sean (VOS) holds yearly end of the school year indoor programs with parents, guardians and beneficiaries to evaluate the scholarship program for the past year and then recognize our beneficiaries and parents who did well.

We recognize students who perform well by presenting gifts and raining praises on them. This is done to encourage both students and parents and to send a message to those who did not perform well to put more time into their studies.

This year’s end-of-year recognition program took place at our office in Congo Town on August 15th. Sixteen students received shoe boxes and t-shirts as gifts to motivate them. They comprised eight boys and eight girls. The equal number of boys to girls is an indication that indeed VOS is prioritizing girl child education and that the girl child can excel as much as the boy, when given the chance. All the gift items presented were received from the Sean Devereux Children’s Fund UK in January. A student who did not obtain the required 80% average got one t-shirt as consolation prize.

During the jam-packed indoor program, Sean Devereux Children’s Fund KU Resident Oversight Coordinator, John T. Monibah, spoke to both beneficiaries and parents. He praised Fr. Joe Brown SDB and Sean Devereux Children’s Fund UK for the money and material support given to VOS for the children of Liberia. He also reminded parents and beneficiaries to teach their children the value of generous giving as a way of life. He said we in Liberia should learn to share with others as our fore fathers and Sean himself did. He said money and materials received from Sean UK come through donation and generous giving from children as well as adults and groups. He thanked those who have written letters and made personal visits to say thank you to VOS. He told them VOS was interested in knowing the impact the scholarship program has had on the children.

Volunteers of Sean’s Academic Scholarship Program is meant for needed Liberian children whose parents are not in the position to afford school tuition and fees. We draw a lot of inspiration from Sean himself who used tuition and fees as to help poor Liberian children go to school. Many of them are today studying in universities while others are married and fully employed with organizations such as CRS. VOS thinks this legacy of Sean should continue as long as we receive support.

During the indoor gathering, parents, guardians and direct beneficiaries said they were very grateful for the VOS support. They said the help was important because without it, they could not have made it to this point. They recalled that they have received lots of things from VOS including tuition and fees, text books, backpacks, copybooks, pens, pencils, rulers, umbrellas, rice, sports bottles, bread flour, and clothes. As recipients smiled broadly, some participants (students) of the recognition program wept openly while others cried out aloud because they failed to obtain the required 80% overall average to be recognized. Their parents praised VOS for this approach and said it would encourage the children to do better next year.

Last academic year VOS paid tuition and fees for 55 students and provided them other materials. For academic year 2009/2010, we are hoping to help 100 students and have already £3,400 from Sean Devereux Children’s Fund UK for this year. VOS is working with beneficiaries in 36 schools in Monrovia, including 25 elementary and junior high schools, 15 senior high schools, Stella Maris Polytechnic, and GOJA Incorporated First Aid School. Seven students graduated at end of academic 2008/09 (six finished high school while one completed the First Aid School). They are moving on to universities and colleges.

Volunteers of Sean | 19th August 2009 @ 10:01 pm