By Moses M. Tokpah
-Margibi
The Taongi National University (TNU) has extended its awareness on the institution’s student loan program in Sanoyea District in Lower Bong County, and has at the same time rolled out its free medical outreach program in the area.
The Taongi National University is situated in Salala City, Lower Bong County and it is also accredited by the National Commission on Higher Education in Liberia running bachelor’s degree program.
The provost of the university, Dr. Mike M. Sonpon, led a team to Sanoyea District over the weekend in continuation of the extension of the free medical outreach activities and the student loan program message.
While in the area, Sonpon held series of meetings with educational stakeholders including the Sanoyea District Education Office, principals of schools, teachers and students as well as many residents.
There were also interactions with marketers from different areas including Totota and many other towns and villages.
Sonpon, during the meetings explained the significance of the student loan and the process through which one can benefit from such process.
He informed the people of Sanoyea District that a student wanting to benefit from the program will be required to pay sixty United States Dollars (US$60) for registration along with the payment of twenty United States Dollars (US$20) monthly until graduation while the balance will be credited to his/her account to be paid after graduation.
Sonpon narrated that every semester at the Taongi National University is about two hundred and fifty-eight United States Dollars (US$258) and one spends about three years in the institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
According to him, the student loan program is aimed at providing opportunity for students desiring to acquire higher education, but cannot afford to do right away tuition payment.
As for the free medical outreach program, the Taongi medical team while in Sanoyea, conducted free check-ups and administered free treatments to many people in the area.
Commenting on the medical outreach, the provost said the outreach is expected to last for very long time disclosing that it was launched in the James Dennis Community in Weala, Margibi County recently.
The program, he said is aimed at ensuring that sicknesses and diseases such as worms, stomach pain, rashes and birthmarks, headache, malaria, fever, food allergy, febrile seizures and eyesight as well as vision are treated.
Other sickness he mentioned are earache, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, cough, cold and air infections, constipation, colic, burns, sores, bronchiolitis, asthma and many others.
A key one among them as noted by Sonpon, is the circumcision of male children; an exercise which has benefited a lot of children since the medical outreach began.
“The implementers of the Taongi National University ‘s free medical outreach program are students of the institution’s nursing department and the program is benefiting women and children, mainly pregnant women, babies, lactating mothers, children, old folks and young people” he revealed.
Dr Sonpon said the TNU’s Free Medical Outreach Team is composed of the TNU Nursing Department in collaboration with some health workers who are volunteering and it is also headed by a volunteer, Dr Sammie R. Konneh, a pharmacologist.