Liberians are being told that the future of any nation rests with its youths and therefore a young population that is not properly educated will not be prepared to assist in the future social, economic and political development of their country. 

Delivering the keynote address at the recent launching of the Scholarship for Liberia (SFL) education trust in Milton Keynes, UK, Mr. Anthony Koliie Sr., said when the youth of a country is not educated properly, their ability to expand and develop the economy of their country will be hampered by the limitations of the educated and skilled. Mr. Kollie is senior adviser to the European Federation of Liberian Associations.

He said, if we (Liberians) are to rise from such deplorable situations caused by the civil war to economic stability, it will be required of us to input external resources from Liberians in the Diaspora. 

Speaking on the topic, the importance of education to individuals, families, communities, nations and the world, Mr. Kollie, who also serves as senior advisor to both the Union of Liberian Organisations in the UK and the European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA) defined education as the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use thus contributing to the tuition of good human beings. “Education is the only wealth that cannot be robbed from individuals and is the key which allows such individuals to move up in the world seeking better jobs and hopefully succeeding in life”, he declared. 

EFLA’s senior advisor stressed, for a country, education is the tool which takes the country to greater heights reducing poverty, improving health, promoting a healthier economy and providing peaceful and productive opportunities for young people. 

Mr. Kollie, who received his first international scholarship to pursue a post graduate Diploma in Rural Development in the State of Israel and Sri Lanka, termed the social and economic problems inherited by the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as huge. He said among these problems were a poor education system, nearly three quarters of the population live below the poverty line of 1 US dollar a day and the loss of more than 270, 000 lives in the civil conflict.  The Liberian scholar continued, hundreds fled Liberia, approximately 450, 000 presently reside outside the country, while at home, only one third of the primary school teachers in public schools have been trained. 

The former Matilda Newport Junior High and G.W.Gibson High Schools teacher said, as a result of these factors, most parents in Liberia today cannot afford tuition fees or school materials for their children resulting in a high rate of school drop outs. He said children from poor families enter into the subsistence labour market during school ages, a large number of unskilled and unemployed youth exist nationwide and some have turned to prostitution. 

Mr. Kollie thanked the founders of SFL for the initiative and said the idea of having a scholarship program to assist Liberians is timely and highly appreciated. He counted scholars such as Hussein Oyana Obama, the late father of the U.S. president who in 1959 entered the United Stated of America through a scholarship program before meeting the mother of Barack Obama and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who earned her first scholarship through the assistance of her mother and was awarded her second scholarship to study at Harvard University as beneficiaries of scholarship programs. Today we have a president whose chance came through a scholarship, Mr. Kollie emphasised. 

He urged the trustees of SFL to use the experiences of his life as an example of how financial assistance can assist an individual completing his/her studies. He also thanked the Liberian education trust for thinking about the masses in Liberia during what he referred to as this gloomy economic climate. 

The total of two thousand and forty pounds sterling was raised by SFL through donations and an auction of Liberian arts and craft at the launching program.

EFLA Adviser, Anthony Kollie, Sr.