‘Education is the Lever That Lifts a Nation’ -Boakai Says, as He Unveils Vacation Enrichment Program

By Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr.

MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has launched the Presidential Vacation Enrichment Program and Community Service Projects, a nationwide initiative aimed at transforming education and empowering Liberia’s youth.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Executive Pavilion in Monrovia on Thursday, July 3, 2025, President Boakai declared that the program is not merely a seasonal event, but a “solemn national vow” to build Liberia’s future through education, innovation, and youth leadership.

“I stand before you not simply to launch a summer enrichment program. I stand before you to unleash a promise… that in this 21st century, Liberia will rise through the power of its youth,” he told an audience of students, educators, and national stakeholders.

The program’s theme, “Learning is Leadership: Investing in Youth for Liberia’s 21st Century Transformation,” was echoed throughout the President’s speech, emphasizing that “learning is liberation, legacy, and the lever that thrusts us into the future.”

The theme is also a bold national initiative aimed at empowering young Liberians through education, innovation, and civic responsibility.

President Boakai envisioned a Liberia where education drives national development, self-sufficiency, and pride, while at the same time acknowledging the steep challenges Liberia faces in the education sector.

He noted that many students continue to struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, and he made a bold promise of change. He said: “Too many of our children are trapped in classrooms without quality and homes without hope. But… those days are numbered.”

To confront the reality, the government is investing in over 400 scholarships for students enrolled at 20 universities and technical colleges, demonstrating what the President called a commitment to equity and opportunity.

The Presidential Vacation Enrichment Program includes the recruitment of 100 youth teachers—young leaders drawn from the scholarship pool who will serve as mentors and role models in their communities.

Citing sobering statistics on national learning outcomes, the President emphasized the urgent need to reverse poor literacy and numeracy rates while creating new avenues for meaningful youth engagement.

This, President Boakai said, is how Liberia is beginning to build the next generation of leaders today.

“These scholarships are not just about imbibing theories,” he said. “They are about equipping Liberia to feed itself, heal itself, and power itself forward.”

The program also celebrates grassroots innovation, as President Boakai highlighted local youth entrepreneurs who are producing recycled school bags—a creative approach that turns waste into opportunity and employment.

 “This is the green economy in action—and we intend to keep Liberian youth at the forefront,” he added.

Crucially, the enrichment program demands that scholarship recipients give back. Through community service projects in schools, clinics, farms, and governance programs, students will be required to apply their education to real-world national needs.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” President Boakai reminded potential beneficiaries, affirming that responsibility must accompany opportunity.

“You are not the leaders of tomorrow,” he continued. “You are the leaders of today. Your country believes in you. Your President believes in you. Now build the Liberia we all deserve.”

He also expressed gratitude to Liberia’s development partners, educators, and civil servants, stressing that the government’s efforts are more than promises—they are actions built “brick by brick, child by child, and school by school.”

As Liberia enters a long vacation period often marked by inactivity among school-aged youth, the launch of this program aims to flip the script—turning downtime into opportunity, and learning into national leadership.

“Let this day mark a new chapter—a chapter in which education becomes our national obsession, youth becomes our national treasure, and learning is embraced by all,” the President concluded.

He told Liberian young people: “You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today. Your country believes in you. Your President believes in you.”

President called for a new national chapter in which education becomes a national obsession, youth a national treasure, and learning a tool of liberation and progress.

The initiative is said to reflect the Boakai Administration’s ongoing commitment to inclusive education, youth empowerment, and sustainable national transformation.