By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
Over 250 Liberian students are expected to benefit from a no Collateral Loan Scheme through Nekotech in collaboration with the Government of Liberia. Speaking Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, President Joseph N. Boakai announced that more than 250 Liberian students will benefit from Nekotech’s US$ 25 million no-collateral student loan program for African students.
According to the President, the loan program will allow over 250 Liberian students to access high-quality STEM education in world-renowned institutions in the United States and Canada and to return equipped with the knowledge that will drive Liberia’s development. Speaking to the students, the President urged them to seize the opportunity, study hard, put their all into it, engage deeply, and return with a commitment to give back to Liberia.
“Be reminded that, of the over five million people in the country, you are just the fortunate few to benefit from this opportunity. So, your success is our collective success,” he added. According to him, the Scholarship Program aligns seamlessly with the Government’s ARREST Agenda (soon to be the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development), which prioritizes human capacity building and focuses on education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Boakai indicated that Liberia’s future success rests on the strength of the young workforce, adding that his government is dedicated to providing the youth with opportunities that build skills, knowledge, and leadership abilities. “Let me express our deepest gratitude to Nekotech for this initiative. By investing in the future of our young people, you are investing in the future of our nation,” he said.
President Boakai, “You have extended an open hand to Liberia’s most promising minds, enabling them to realize their dreams and equipping them to help realize our dreams for Liberia.” The Liberian leader narrated that many of the students who will become beneficiaries would not have benefited due to financial limitations, particularly when collateral is required for loans.
He explained that Liberia is on a promising path toward development, and STEM education stands as a critical pillar in achieving this vision. “On behalf of the people of Liberia, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Nekotech and to all the partners who have made this opportunity possible,” Boakai stated. The President added that the generosity and vision of Nekotech have given Liberian youth and, indeed, the entire country a brighter future ahead. He also reminded the students to always Think of Liberia, Love Liberia, and Build Liberia as they embark on their educational joining.
On the occasion marking the 141st Thanksgiving day celebration, held at the Harvest Intercontinental Church, Liberian Leader President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has charged Liberians to exhibit love for the country while appreciating God for the existence of a nation. “Show Love for the country and remember that this country was founded on the principle of worship and fear for God.” President Boakai asserted that Liberians should be grateful to God for the provision of peace in the nation.
He intimated that Liberia in the subregion has been peaceful amid instability that engulfed the region. “As a nation, God has been good to us. Our neighbors in the subregion have been challenged with instability, but the peace of God has been with us.” Meanwhile, he continued by urging Liberians to be nationalistic in the discharge of their duty to ensure that the resources are used to empower everyone. He asserted that with a grateful and nationalistic heart, Liberia as a nation can reap the benefits of God’s blessings upon the nation.
Boakai added that he remains prayerful to God for direction in steering the affairs of the country and asked that God provide the right people to positively shift the dimension of the country. “We pray that God answers our prayers by bringing the rightful people around us to help positively impact the nation, that we may all benefit from the national resources.” In 1883, the Legislature of Liberia enacted a statute declaring this day as a national holiday. Thanksgiving is celebrated in the country in large part due to the nation’s founding as a colony of the American Colonization Society in 1821 by former slaves and free people of color from the United States.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil, Germany, and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Various similarly named harvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among most religions after harvests and at other times of the year. The Thanksgiving holiday’s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.
