IPNews-30 November 2017 – Three of Liberia’s outstanding technical institutions, Stella Maris Polytechnic, Booker Washington Institute (BWI) and the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) have benefited from the donation of several technical curriculum materials.
The equipment was handed to authorities of the institutions on Tuesday in Kakata, Margibi County by Light UP Liberia, a MercyCorps program, funded by the European Union (EU).
According to the Deputy Program Manager of Light UP Liberia, Orlando Kanswen, this program is geared at improving the stability and living conditions of rural Liberians.
Kanswen named others to include market facilitation, renewable energy integration, provision of financial service and the improvement of planning and coordination within rural energy sectors.
These targeted areas, according to him, would promote skills training for marketers, create people grade installation in Liberia and develop a curriculum for implementation of the Light UP Liberia Program.
According to him, currently the program is already affecting several Liberians in various sectors.
“Within one year, the program has reached 25,000 Liberians including business sectors and users of solar energy. Eight active solar product retailers are currently on hand,” Kanswen said.
The Light UP Liberia Deputy Program Manager further stated that curriculum development is an important aspect to the program.
He said the presentation of technical curriculum materials to these institutions is a good way and added that it will also enhance the teaching of technical students enrolled in the program.
Also speaking, MercyCorps Liberia Country Director, Mr. Douglas Cooper, whose statement was read on his behalf by a female staff of his institution, expressed delight over the completion of the curriculum development, which is the first phase of the project.
According to Cooper, MercyCorps partnership with the benefiting institutions demonstrates the importance of collaborating with the public and private sectors as well as civil society institutions in reaching the path to significant and sustainable change in Liberia.
“We have worked together on this curriculum to prepare our students to make a living for themselves and their families, to build the strength of the renewable energy sector here in Liberia, and to contribute to the economic life of the country,” Cooper added.
He noted that this joint collaboration would also contribute in making several lives better for Liberians.
Receiving the equipment, authorities of the three institutions, Stella Maris, BWI and MVTC, lauded Light UP Liberia through MercyCorps for the initiative.
In separate remarks the schools authorities promised to use the equipment effectively in enhancing the technical skills of their students.
