By Grace Q. Bryant
The Liberia Community Association of Central New Jersey and Metropolitan Areas (CACNJMA) over the weekend donated back-to-school items for 11 elementary and kindergarten schools in Montserrado County.
The donation exercise which took place at the Jessie Bar in the Neezoe Community had beneficiary schools like the Global Christian, Mission International School System, Sawlad Daycare Elementary, Mount Zion Christian Academy, Salvation Army School System, Repheke Christian Academy, Patmelia Academy, Grace Foundation Liberia, Action of Faith Primary, T-Five Academy and 72nd Public School. All of them received essential school materials.
Giving the overview of the program, the president of LCA, Anthony K. Kpayea said the initiative is non-governmental and therefore called on everyone to support.
According to him, in July they donated to 350 students in United States, noting, “We have come to give back to our young children and we can assure them that going forward there will be more donations from the community in New Jersey.”
“As a non-profit organization, it is part of our responsibility and that is why we asked our community in Jersey and these items were donated to the vulnerable by people,” he explained.
LCA president added, “We had passion to reach out to people and make sure you all benefit from the Association.”
He added that the Association is more than 45 years old and they are rebranding it through reaching out to students and partnering with citizens in Kakata, Buchanan and Monrovia.
The Vice president of the Association of Liberian Community in Central New Jersey, USA, Peter Massaquoi, said the donation was a promise made by them to their people back home.
Massqoui noted that for the first time in their community, they were able to partner with a multi-million-dollar company in the United States that takes care of people with special needs.
He added that based on their collaboration with the U.S based organization, there will be a project named and styled 601 and added that the 601 is a facility coming to Liberia by the organization.
Massqoui revealed that the dedication of the project will kick off by early next month noting, “For the first time in our community, we were able to partner with a US based multi-million dollars organization in the United States that takes care of people with special needs. Our partnership with this multi-million-dollar organization will allow us to construct a facility for people living with disabilities,” he added.
According to Massqoui, several persons with disabilities stand to benefit from their initiatives including Liberian nurses who are trained and stand to benefit from the exchange program in the United States of America.
He further explained that they have established a cordial relationship with every Liberian community and cities that are in the state of New Jersey.
“We have established a cordial relationship with every Liberian community city within our localities, not only in New Jersey, so, with the partnership of these sister cities, Liberians stand to benefit a lot,” he assured.
Massaquoi, among other things, noted that they are not just in the U.S to socialize but they are there as leaders to look for and identify resources to see how best they can contribute to their motherland.
He revealed that they are in the process of owning their own area called the Liberian Community Center with a one stop shop facility in the United States for Liberian Children whose parents cannot afford.
The center will contain a library which will serve as a research center, network and have a career fair in an effort to bring the Liberian community together in the U.S.A
He however, noted that their support is a grass root-based support that has a total membership of over 7,000 people that always raised money whenever they identify projects, adding that they are also sourcing funding from the Federal states and local government to see how best they can reach out to as many persons as possible.
Peter Massaquoi disclosed that their organization has no political intentions or ambition in Liberia or the US, noting that they only saw the need to give back to their homeland country.
