Youth Action International Donates $160,000 in assorted medical and educational supplies.
Monrovia, Liberia- 5-10-08: The American based organization, Youth Action International (YAI), has donated a consignment of assorted medical supplies valued at US$50,000 to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. The organization has also made separate donations of over 1,000 boxes of books and school supplies to the Project School in Steven Tolbert Estate and the Becky Primary School in Margibi County. Making the donations, Youth Action International Executive Director Kimmie Weeks noted that his organization was making the gesture in furtherance of its efforts to strengthen Liberia’s education and health sector. Kimmie Weeks who served as National Orator for programs marking Liberia’s 161st Independence Day last year said that the donations were intended to buttress is call for greatest priority to be placed on education and health. Weeks noted: “During my speech last year, I emphasized the need for government to prioritize these two important sectors. I also called for all Liberians to support the process. I’m here today to talk the talk and walk the walk by making my own contribution to the enhancement of Liberia’s health and education sector.
Kimmie Weeks went on to reveal that his organization has plans to continue to support JFK and other hospitals across the nation. He revealed that he and a delegation from his New York based organization had already toured the Kakata Hospital and were scheduled to visit hospitals in ten other counties across Liberia. Kimmie Weeks said: “We’ve started with five bins today, but we are in process of shipping a full container of medical supplies to Liberia in 2009.”
Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, JFKs Deputy General Administrator Vera Cooper welcomed the humanitarian gesture and called on more Liberians to follow the example of Kimmie Weeks. She expressed her thanks to Youth Action International on behalf of JFK and said that the donated materials would be put to good use and would go a long way in helping to ease the hospitals logistical problems.
Kimmie Weeks also made two separate donations of books and educational supplies worth more than $70,000 to Becky Primary School and Project School. The donation included more than 1,000 boxes of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, fiction and non-fiction books. Speaking at the official turning over ceremony held at Project School in Stephen Tolbert Estate, Kimmie Weeks told administrators and teachers that his organization had also approved a budget to help Project School set up a library. “Youth Action International and Project School are now family,” Weeks declared, “we will stand by you and help you become one of the best schools in this country.” Weeks also formally unveiled plans to build a science lab and computer lab on the campus on Project School to help ensure that the school could provide excellent education for its more than 1,500 students.
Kimmie Weeks acknowledged Youth Action International’s partners at Remedy International and People United for Libraries in Africa (PULA) for the important role they had played in helping to collect and ship the supplies to Liberia. He expressed gratitude to the international community for its continued support of Liberia and stressed the need for Liberians to do more to support the rebuilding process.