One Bench of Liberia (OBTL) volunteers in Liberia:
1. James Y. Sumo, Team Leader
2. Andrew G. Tehmeh, Volunteer
3. Feetor Kaine, Field Officer
4. Vinnah C. Kangboe-Howard, Field Officer
One of the main objectives of One Bench at a Time Liberia (OBTL) is to engage in the distribution of benches and other supplies to rural poor schools that cannot afford to provide benches and chairs for students. These students often sit on the bare floor of their classrooms or on pieces of blocks or bricks.
OBTL’s inaugural donation of benches was in Yarpuah Town, Lofa County where 25 benches produced locally by carpenters were purchased and donated to the Yarpuah Community School. The donation benefited over 100 students and residents of the entire town as benches can be used for school and non-school activities including PTA and general town’s meetings. Purchasing the benches locally is not only cheaper but promotes the local economy and increases the logistical capacities of rural poor schools.
For 2020 school year, OBTL seeks to undertake and achieve the following:
· Procure and donate 300 benches to 5 rural poor schools in Bong and Lofa Counties
· These benches will take 1,500 students from the floor (5 students per bench)
· Purchase and manage 3 power saw machines to be used by remote targeted communities to saw wood for the production of benches for their schools. This will reduce the cost of benches by local producers
· Provide basic school supplies (book bags, notebooks, pencils, etc) for the 1,500 students that will benefit from the benches
