By: Sheku Desmond
To Strengthen the bonds between its Forest Edge communities, the Gola Rainforest National Park whose office is located at 164 Dama Road Kenema, has paid Two Years’ tuition fees for 28 Forest Edge University students across the Seven Operational Chiefdoms ( Kailahun district- Malema chiefdom, Kenema district- Gaura, Koya, Nomo, and Tunkia Chiefdoms, and Pujehun district- Barrie and Makpele Chiefdoms respectively).
The propensity behind the payment of university tuition fees is to strengthen and lessen the burden faced by community members in paying their children’s university fees.
On the day of disbursement, the organization promised parents whose children received the university scholarship that the Two Years fees ( 11, 250. Nle) will be disbursed again in August to ensure that those fortunate students complete their university studies without any financial hindrances.
However, in an excited mood, one of the parents, Desmond .J. Bockarie a focal person of one of the Operational communities (Lalehun), accompanied his son to collect the money at the organization’s main office in Kenema, extended a heartfelt appreciation to the management of Gola Rainforest National Park for the opportunity to the 28 students across the Seven Operational Chiefdoms in pursuant of their university studies without any financial stockade.
He continued by saying that they had been finding a plethora of difficulties in earning the yearly university fees; hence, they solely depend on subsistence agricultural farming. He added that it was a good idea initiated by the organization to offer financial assistance to their university children.
In addendum, the Gola Rainforest National Park was legally established in 2011 under the presidencies of Former president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, and the Former president of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The purported reasons for the declaration of the Forest as Gola Rainforest National Park are to promote and protect wild animals and tree species in the Gola Rainforest National Park, and to diversify biodiversity in the country.
