ZOTA DISTRICT, Bong County, Liberia — In a remarkable demonstration of commitment to grassroots education and youth empowerment, One Life Liberia Inc. in partnership with the Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo Foundation for Development has officially launched a L$2 million scholarship fund to support more than 500 underprivileged and vulnerable students across Zota District in Bong County.
The landmark scholarship scheme was formally launched over the weekend in Shankpallai Town, the hometown of Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey-Yarkpawolo, a distinguished son of the district, following a highly successful and intensive fundraising campaign that began about two weeks earlier and successfully reached its ambitious L$2 million target.
The colorful and well-attended launch ceremony, held at the Shankpallai Town Hall, brought together a cross-section of citizens including traditional elders, parents, students, school administrators, teachers, community leaders, youth groups, women’s groups, and local government officials, as well as partners and volunteers of both organizations, who gathered to celebrate what many residents described as one of the most timely and impactful interventions for families struggling to keep their children in school.
In his keynote statement during the launch, Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo, who is the founder and Executive Director of the Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo Foundation for Development and a proud native of Shankpallai, said his own difficult, challenging, and inspiring educational journey inspired the initiative and compelled him to give back to his people.
Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo recalled his early childhood in Zota District, where he walked several miles daily to attend school under difficult conditions, often without proper uniform, textbooks, or school fees, and faced severe financial hardships that nearly cut short his academic dreams. He said it was through the help of community members, teachers, and sheer determination that he was able to overcome those obstacles and achieve his educational goals.
According to Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo, it is against this background that he decided to establish the foundation and partner with One Life Liberia Inc., to ensure that no child in Zota District is forced to drop out of school because of poverty, lack of uniform, or inability to pay fees.
He explained that the scholarship will comprehensively cover school fees, uniforms, textbooks, copybooks, pens, pencils, school bags, and other essential educational materials for students facing severe financial difficulties, especially children from single-parent homes, orphans, and children whose parents are peasant farmers with little or no stable income.
The goal, he emphasized, is not just to pay school fees for one academic year, but to remove every barrier that prevents a child in Zota from staying in the classroom, remaining focused, and completing their education with dignity and confidence.
Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo disclosed that beneficiaries will be carefully identified in close collaboration with school authorities, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), district education officers, and community leaders to ensure full transparency, fairness, and accountability, with more than 500 students expected to benefit from the programme in its first phase, covering both primary and junior high levels.
He added that a monitoring team comprising representatives from One Life Liberia Inc. and the foundation will be set up to follow up on the academic progress of the beneficiaries and ensure that the support is used for its intended purpose.
Beyond the scholarship fund, the foundation also announced the availability and immediate distribution of instructional materials for two key public institutions in the district — William T. Womba Public School and Shankpallai Lutheran School — to help improve teaching and learning conditions and reduce the burden on teachers who often use their own money to buy chalk and other materials.
Speaking as the motivational speaker and chief launcher of the fundraising campaign, Mrs. Aisha Lai, a renowned educator and philanthropist, urged parents in Zota District to prioritize their children's education above all else, noting that education remains the only true equalizer and the surest path out of poverty for children from rural and underprivileged backgrounds.
Mrs. Lai, who contributed a significant amount of L$200,000 to the scholarship fund during the launch as her personal commitment, challenged parents to complement the effort of the foundations by ensuring their children are regular in school, punctual, respectful to teachers, and serious about their lessons, stressing that no amount of financial support can replace parental commitment, guidance, and supervision at home.
She also called on other well-meaning Liberians, both at home and in the diaspora, to emulate the good example of Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo and One Life Liberia Inc., by investing in education in their own hometowns and districts.
Residents who attended the ceremony welcomed the initiative with great joy, excitement, and appreciation, praising the organisers for supporting education and investing directly in the future of children across Zota District.
Many parents, some of whom were in tears of joy, said the L$2 million fund comes at a time when many families in Bong County are facing serious economic hardship and are unable to afford the rising cost of school fees and materials, a situation that has forced many children to drop out of school and engage in farming or motorbike riding.
Madam Oldma Kollie, a mother of four from Shankpallai, said she had been struggling to keep her children in school and described the scholarship as an answered prayer for her family.
Local school authorities and principals also commended One Life Liberia Inc. and the Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo Foundation for Development for the partnership, describing it as a model for community-driven development and a shining example of what can happen when citizens come together for a common purpose.
The District Education Officer for Zota said the initiative will significantly increase enrollment and retention in the district and will help reduce the dropout rate, especially among girls.
Organizers say this is just the beginning of a long-term commitment to education in Bong County, as they plan to expand the scholarship to more schools, including senior high schools, and sustain it annually to ensure that no child in Zota District is denied education because of poverty.
They also revealed plans to establish a mentorship and career guidance programme for beneficiaries to help them dream bigger and aim for higher education.