IPNews-Monrovia: The Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) on 11 June received eight Desktop Computers from USAID Liberia Media Development (LMD) program.

Presenting the brand new computers to PAL president Mr. Othello B. Garblah, USAID’s Chief of Party for Liberia’s Media Development, Madam Lien Bach recalls that in 2019, Internews and the Publishers Association of Liberia started a collaboration on some LMD activities.

She states that some of the proposed activities are the joint facilitation and management of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) reporting fellowship for Monrovia-based reporters and management of an unpaid internship activity for student journalists.

The USAID LMD Chief of Party also discloses that an initial show of commitment of USAID/LMD program was the setting up of a workspace in the Internews office in Sinkor that serves as a secretariat for PAL. She emphasizes also that this technical support – a desk computer, and access to high-speed internet – allows PAL to run its activities and keep in touch with members.

Madam Bach notes further that the intent is to assign these computers in newsrooms where reporters who were selected for the TIP reporting fellowship and interns as well as others such as reporters working in these newsrooms to use them in performing their reportorial duties.

For his part, PAL president Othello B. Garblah, accompanied by PAL’s vice president Sam O. Dean at the USAID Liberia Media Development Program office in Sinkor expresses gratitude to USAID for the computers. He says the computers will assist the association’s members to work effectively in the discharge of their responsibilities as watch-dog of the society by reporting issues on TIP and other issues affecting the country.

Mr. Garblah assures the USAID LMD Chief of Party of the association’s commitment to maintain and wisely use the computers to facilitate the work of reporters in various newsrooms. Media institutions listed to benefit from the computers include The NewDawn, Women Voices, The Inquirer, The New Republic, The Heritage, The Independent, The Public Agenda and Analyst newspapers, respectively.

As part of the collaboration between the two institutions, USAID-LMD will regularly build the capacity of PAL to diagnose problems arising out of the computers and that the logo of USAID will be placed on each of the computers in keeping with the collaboration.

The donated computers, according to USAID LMD, are already being programmed and are ready to be used by the recipients, saying they do not need worry about installing software and other programs.

Both the USAID Chief of Party Madam Bach and PAL’s president Garblah signed a memorandum of understanding in relations to the maintenance and monitoring of the donated computers. The program was witnessed by staff of USAID Liberia Media Development Program and officials of the Publishers Association of Liberia, among others