No More Mud-Classroom Struggle: Rep. Wongbe Brings New Hope To Volay School children

NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — For years, children in Volay Town were forced to pursue education under the harsh conditions of a deteriorating mud structure, turning the simple dream of attending a safe and decent school into a daily struggle. But on Saturday, August 22, 2026, that painful chapter began to close as District #9 Representative Taa Z. Wongbe dedicated a modern elementary school building for the community, transforming what was once a symbol of neglect into a new center of hope.

The dedication brought together parents, students, teachers, community residents and local authorities, who celebrated the completion of the facility as a major breakthrough for education in Volay. The new structure is expected to provide students with a safer and more suitable environment to learn, while giving parents renewed confidence in sending their children to school.

The story of the Volay Public School had long been a troubling reflection of the challenges facing children in rural Liberia. Students had been attending classes in an old mud building that had deteriorated over time, exposing them to dust, discomfort and unsafe learning conditions. For many children, education meant entering a structure that was hardly fit for the purpose of teaching and learning.

Speaking during the dedication, Representative Wongbe acknowledged that bringing the project to completion was not an easy journey. He said the construction faced opposition and political challenges, but he remained determined to see the school completed for the benefit of the people.

“To put this structure down wasn't easy. Some denied, while others were standing by me to have this work done,” Wongbe said, recounting the challenges he encountered during the project.

But the lawmaker's intervention did not end with the construction of the school. He also distributed school bags, books, pens, shoes, coloring materials, shirts and other educational supplies to students, saying the gesture was intended to make it easier and more attractive for children to return to school and embrace a modern learning environment.

“I'm not only presenting you a school building to go. I'm also giving you school materials to help the students come and learn, and these materials were given to me by my friends and other partners,” he explained.

Representative Wongbe also expressed appreciation to ArcelorMittal Liberia for its contribution toward addressing what he described as a longstanding cry from residents of Volay Town. He said the combined support of partners and individuals made it possible to respond to the educational needs of the community.

For Principal John Menlor, the transformation represents far more than the construction of a new building. He recalled the difficult conditions under which students previously attended classes, saying the school operated from an old mud structure that had become unsafe and uncomfortable for children.

“Firstly, let me say thank you to the representative for bringing this great help to us. We used to conduct classes in one old mud house that was depreciated, which was not safe for the kids. They used to be dusty when leaving, but now we have a modern building,” Menlor said.

Menlor further revealed that the school's staffing situation had also been extremely difficult. He said he once served as the school's only instructor and principal, teaching students from the ABC level through sixth grade, until a woman volunteered to assist him, bringing the number of teachers to two.

“I used to be the only instructor and principal here until one lady joined to help me,” he recounted.

With the new facility now standing, the principal has called on residents to take ownership of the project and ensure that the school does not return to the condition from which it was rescued. He stressed that the responsibility for protecting the facility now rests not only with the representative but with the entire community.

“We have received the project, but the question here is, how will we maintain it? We need to join hands and protect the school so that it will last long,” Menlor urged.

The dedication of the Volay Public School therefore marks more than the opening of a new structure; it represents a dramatic shift from learning in a failing mud building to learning in a modern educational facility. For the children of Volay, the project has turned a long-standing educational hardship into a new beginning one that could give them the safe environment and basic tools needed to pursue the education that many believe remains the key to a better future.