By John Dennis Weah
MONROVIA – Cllr. Kun Teh, a son of River Gee County and founder of the Kunkun Care Foundation, is poised to help address significant and strategic needs in the basic social services sector in the Southeastern province of River Gee.
River Gee shares Liberia’s border in the east alongside the Cavalla River with the Ivory Coast, split from Grand Gedeh County in May 2000 after receiving approval from Liberia’s House of Representatives in May 1997 and Senate approval in March 2000.
Fish Town is the capital of River Gee, a county situated in the southeast of Liberia with a total population of 124,653. Its sparse population is due to a lack of sustainable opportunities which include basic social services and livelihood paths, causing several citizens of River Gee to migrate to other parts of Liberia in search of greener pasture.
Bushrod Island, a suburb of Monrovia, is the main hotspot to which most people leaving the county settle. Clara Town, Doe Community, West Point, and Logan Town are the most notable locales of the people.
“There are no job opportunities in River Gee. Since the scale down of NGOs and UNMIL, the Government of Liberia is the sole reliable employer in the county,” Mr. Teh told The Analyst, promising to help address gaps in the educational sector.
According to him, schools in the county lack almost everything necessary to full-fledge academic activities, including that a vast majority of the teachers rendering services in the schools in the county are volunteers paid below the minimum wage.
He said: “My intervention in the area thus far has been an effort to assist several students at Tubman University. We paid over 35 students’ school fees during the last vacation school. By next semester, we will be running a scholarship that would benefit at least 50 students. Through the Kunkun Care Foundation we will be supporting parents to ensure their children get back to school in the county basically with uniforms, books, and other materials given by friends in the diaspora for elementary students in public schools.”
He also lamented that hospitals are empty, no drugs, and the number of professionals in the health service delivery sector in River Gee County is inadequate.
The Kunkun Care Foundation is reportedly supporting the training of several nurses and science students in various universities including Tubman University, Midwifery School in Zwedru, and another professional school in Gbarnga being run by the Baptist Church.
“By the end of the year, we will be launching our access to health care program. During inaugural sessions, we anticipate reaching out to at least 300 patients in River Gee. The future of the young people needs special attention. The youth are largely artisanal and or illegal miners or bike riders,” he further said.
In the area of health in River Gee, Mr. Teh noted that his foundation is partnering with the bike unions on several projects in the capital of Fish Town.
Regarding his interventions in agriculture, he said the Kunkun Foundation is involved with a cacao farm of at least 50 acres, animal husbandry, including piggery, snail, goats, and cows; supplying cacao farmers with seedlings free of charge, and continuing with developing nurseries in the county.
“We built, operate and the community-managed radio station named and styled the Gee Broadcasting Corporation in Sarbo Weafuken,” he further said.
“We have undertaken a project to bring Voice of Webbo back to begin the active broadcast,” Mr. Teh also reported. “About 500 watts transmitter is being secured, and six bundles of zinc procured already.”
He revealed that his pursuit for better opportunities for the people and residents of River Gee County is firm.