IPNews-Monrovia: The campaign to mentor adolescent girls across the country to value their bodies got a big boost Saturday, September 28, 2019, in Todee District, Montserrado County, with Liberiaโs Vice President Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor leading the process.
A release from the office of the Vice President said the ย day-long initiative under the theme, โYour body, your Choiceโ featured presentations on topics on women empowerment under the auspices of the Jewel Starfish Foundation.
Several dignitaries including, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia His Excellency Fu Jijun, graced the event, making special remarks on womenโs empowerment.
Residents of the District, led by their Superintendent, performed a special traditional welcome ceremony for the Chinese Ambassador, encouraging the Ambassador to consider to generate his countryโs interest in investing in agriculture in the District.
In remarks at the occasion, VP Howard-Taylor noted that the acceptance ofย Ambassador Fu to form part of the occasion in Todee was a clear manifestation of Chinaโs continued support
She said the Ambassador, through his Government, has been very supportive of Governmentโs activities, particularly in the education of girls across the country.
Addressing beneficiaries of the Jewel Starfish Foundation, the VP warned about vices that tend to retard their progress.
She encouraged the adolescent girls in Todee to believe in themselves and muster the courage to stay in school. She alsoย advised them to refrain from early sex and marriage if they must succeed in life.
Speaking earlier, the Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, who was presented vegetable crops as gifts during his traditional welcome to the district, lauded the Vice President for the excellent role she is playing in the education and empowerment of women, particularly young girls.
The Diplomat opined that investing in women is pivotal to the development of any society, referencing his country China as a case study.
Recounting the role of China in Liberiaโs development, Ambassador Fu disclosedย his country has since increased the number of scholarship beneficiaries in Liberia from about 53 last year to 78 in this year.
The Chinese Ambassador is meanwhile calling on Liberians to hold together if the country must realize development with tangibles.
He stressed that without concerted effort to effective human capacity building which he believes is a sine qua non for sustainable development, a nation cannot move to developed status.
On the sideline of ย the event, little Karen Renell Boiwu, the first grader whose video recently went viral on social media, on her brilliant recitation on the importance of education, received huge applause from the audience in Todee after her splendidย performance on stage.
At the close of the event, the hundreds of scholarship beneficiaries of Jewel Starfish Foundation based in Todee hailed the Vice President for providing them the privilege to form part of the initiative, promising to remain focused in their educational sojourn.
