Hundreds of students in Paynesville are heading into the new academic year with renewed hope, thanks to a major donation of school supplies spearheaded by the Embassy Tree organization. The initiative, launched in September under the leadership of Custodian Urey Paye, is part of Embassy Tree’s newly established Back-to-School Project, which seeks to support underprivileged children with much-needed educational materials. The program’s goal is to raise and distribute over USD $3,000 worth of supplies to more than 800 students across the Paynesville area.
Already, several schools have benefitted from the effort, including JCN Howard Kindergarten in Joe Bar, MAGIF Foundation Inc. in Zubah Town, and Champion Academy School System in the LBS Lover Street Community, among others. Each student received a dozen sealed composition copybooks for classroom activities, a gesture that school officials say will significantly reduce the financial strain on parents. Entire schools were supplied with bulk learning materials as well, extending the program’s impact beyond individual students to whole classrooms.
Speaking at one of the distribution exercises, Custodian Paye emphasized the role of community-driven support in advancing Liberia’s education system. “Education is the foundation of our country’s future,” he said. “Through this initiative, we want to help parents and encourage students to pursue their studies without unnecessary barriers.” He added that Embassy Tree plans to expand its outreach in the coming months, reaching even more children across different communities. The initiative was warmly embraced by parents, students, and administrators, who hailed the donation as timely and impactful.
Many families expressed gratitude for the assistance, noting that the cost of school supplies has been a major challenge at the start of the school year. For Embassy Tree, this back-to-school effort marks just the beginning of a broader commitment to supporting Liberia’s youth. The organization says it will continue to partner with local institutions and communities to ensure that more children have access to the tools they need for success in the classroom.
Author: Zac T. Sherman