By Shallon S. Gonlor
Dulay Town, Nimba County, Liberia – The residents of Zor Dulay Town in Nimba County’s District #3 are grappling with severe shortages in healthcare, education, and road infrastructure, leaving women, children, and the elderly in dire conditions.
A recent visit by Women Voices Newspaper revealed a community in distress, with crumbling school facilities, a lack of medical services, and impassable roads exacerbating their hardships.
Emmanuel Gbeadeh, Chairman of the Dulay Public School Parents Teachers Association (PTA), highlighted the struggles faced by students and teachers.
“We only have two government-paid teachers for grades ABC up to seventh grade,” Gbeadeh said. “We’ve resorted to combined classes, but this system is failing our children. When you teach third grade, seventh graders are left confused, and vice versa.”
The school building is also in disrepair, forcing students to learn in inadequate conditions. Gbeadeh appealed for government assistance:
“We need at least two or three additional classrooms so we can separate the grades properly. Without intervention, our children’s education will continue to suffer.”
Patrick Gontee, a youth leader, echoed these concerns, noting that while many young people in Dulay are educated, they are focused on farming and businesses rather than teaching. “If the government steps in, some of us could assist as paid teachers,” Gontee said.
The absence of a functional healthcare facility has put lives at risk. An unfinished clinic, initiated by former Representative Joseph Somwarbi, remains incomplete under current District #3 Representative Nehker Gaye.
“We carry pregnant women on motorbikes or stretchers for hours to reach Gorgoatuo Town’s clinic,”Gontee explained. “The road is terrible, and sometimes mothers are forced to stay there for days because returning is too difficult.”
Beatrice Kanye, an elderly resident, shared the anguish of families: “Sick children, pregnant women, and elders walk for two and a half hours in pain just to see a doctor. How can a person in labor endure such a journey?”
The deteriorating Zor Gowee-to-Dulay road cuts off the community from essential services and economic opportunities. “The road is nearly impassable, especially during the rainy season,” Gontee said. “How can we transport goods, access markets, or rush emergencies to hospitals?”
Frustrated by years of neglect, Dulay’s residents are calling on the Liberian government and local representatives to: Complete the abandoned clinic and staff it with medical personnel.
They also want the government Expand the school, hire more teachers, and repair damaged infrastructure and Rehabilitate the road to connect the community to vital services.
“We are suffering,” Kanye stressed. *“If the government does not act now, how many more mothers and children must die needlessly?”
