By Kingston S. Kolleh
In an effort to modify the New Kru Town Association in the Americas (NEKTAA)’s Children Computer Literacy Project at the New Kru Town Library & Resource Center in the Borough of New Kru Town, the association has launched a major computer literacy fund drive.
Speaking to the Inquirer Newspaper via mobile phone from Northfield Ct Indianapolis USA recently, Thomas Wulah, President of NEKTTA disclosed that the month long fund drive which is under the theme “Introducing Computer Literacy To Impoverished Kids” is intended to solicit funds aimed at replacing the outdated desktops presently at the training center.
According to him, their vision is to educate and empower the kids of the Borough by the introduction of 21st Century Computer literacy knowledge saying they are poised to upgrade the laboratory with 30 new laptops, 20 computer desktops along with 3 pieces of 1200 BTU air conditioners.
“We are targeting modern processors like Core i5 processors or Core i7 processors with 8 GB RAM or higher RAM as well as 250 GB or more and 512 MB video memory or above,” he indicated.
Speaking further, the Head of NEKTAA stated that they have also acquired a projector that will be used to film educational movies for the kids at which time they will be served with biscuits, juices, candies and other food stuffs as a means of motivating them to regularly come to the library for the training, adding that computer literacy class is currently being run for the kids with Madam Christiana Weah every Saturday for three hours.
Commenting on the status of other projects that the NEKTAA is rolling out in the country, the president explained that the New Kru Town Library & Resource Center is an ongoing project that is serving students who reside in the Borough of New Kru Town and its environs as they converged there daily in huge number to do research, assignments and reading owing to the fact that it has books on every subject ranging from K-1 to High School and above which is an exciting development for them since that is the only public library in the community.
“NEKTAA launched a micro finance interest-free loan in 2019 as a pilot project for market women and fishermen where beneficiaries received US$500 each to improve their businesses,” he averred.
Mr. Wulah then stressed that the loan has become a success story because beneficiaries have repaid the loans up to 99% with improvement in their economic status as some fishermen were able to have purchased new canoes to enhance their fishing expedition while some market women were also able to open shops, while others moved from retailing to wholesales and others are even supplying goods to their colleagues promising that they will lobby for donors’ support in order to increase the beneficiaries.
On the Back To School Project, he recalled that in 2017 & 2018 NEKTAA distributed assorted educational materials like book bags, copybooks including pencils, crayons among others to students residing in the Borough and surrounding communities most of whom are from poor parents, which is geared toward elevating some of the burdens that parents encounter when it comes to educating their kids adding that the project was not possible this year due to the pandemic.
As part of giving back to their community, he pointed out that they have also been rendering relief services to fire victims and people affected by disaster in the Borough noting that in 2018 fire razed two houses to the ground as such, the association donated food, cooking utensils along with zinc to 15 family heads.
In view of the devastating effect of the Coronavirus on the lives of their kinsmen back home, he explained that they recently donated 115 bags of 25kg rice and 115 gallons of vegetable oil to the Redemption Hospital which was intended for the in-patients and staffs of the hospital.
“The Covid-19 virus is serving as a potential hindrance to the implementation of our plans for 2020 but we are focused on helping our people and by the grace of God, things will get better,” he assured the people.
He then used the opportunity to pay homage to those who he said have been supporting their efforts like President George Manneh Weah, Representative Dixon Seboe of District # 16, Montserrado County; Cllr. Oswald Tweh; Hon. Edward Forh; We-Care Foundation; Mr. Robert Teah; others are, Read Liberia including Madam Doryen Bestman; Cllr. Cecelia Grandoe Rogers; Sinoe Association in the Americas adding that others will be commended in subsequent publication.
Meanwhile President Wulah has extended their deepest condolences to the Sloh Family, the government and people of Liberia for the passing of the late Representative Nagbe Sloh of District # 2, Sinoe County who served as the first President of NEKTAA.