Africa-Press – Liberia. Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan inspired happy graduates at Boatswain Elementary and Junior High School, the same school he attended over 40 years ago.
Ngafuan, who was a student there from 6th to 9th grade between 1982 and 1985, returned to share both a personal story and an important message. He made it clear that he wasn’t there to give a formal speech; instead, he wanted to speak directly to the graduates and connect with the young people of Liberia.
Before sharing his personal experiences, Ngafuan announced some significant plans to improve education in Liberia.
He revealed that the upcoming national budget for 2025 includes a 60% increase in funding for schools in Monrovia. Among the plans is a $2 million fund aimed at fixing and upgrading schools within the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS).
“The education system has its challenges,” he said honestly. “It won’t be easy to solve everything quickly, but we must face these issues boldly.”
Additionally, he shared that the government aims to include volunteer teachers on the official payroll. This move is designed to enhance teaching quality and improve learning conditions in classrooms.
Ngafuan reassured school leaders, saying, “We will work with you to ensure that every penny spent on construction is worthwhile. Next year will be better than this year — that’s a promise.”
He emphasized that his agenda, called the ARREST Agenda, is not just a catchy phrase, but a plan with specific actions aimed at reducing poverty in Liberia over the next five years.
Reflecting on his own upbringing, Ngafuan spoke about growing up in a modest neighborhood filled with police officers and surrounded by soccer fields, where life was often tough.
“We were poor and faced many challenges,” he stated. “Neither my dad nor my mom had a formal education, and I didn’t have anyone influential to turn to for support.”
However, it was his father’s determination, despite their limited means, that inspired him. “My father made sure we had newspapers every day so I could stay informed. When we couldn’t watch TV at our neighbor’s anymore, he worked hard to buy a small black-and-white TV for us,” Ngafuan recalled.
He spoke of the excitement he felt from the smell of new textbooks, which motivated him to go beyond the required reading. He shared a powerful message: “Poverty is not a prison. It’s not a death sentence.”
He encouraged students to see their hardships not as obstacles but as stepping stones. “Yes, being poor is tough. But being poor and lazy is even worse. Let your challenges drive you forward. Think of it like a rocket; it needs fuel to take off.”
Ngafuan warned that many young people want success without putting in real effort. “I often say: if you take away ‘SW’ from the word ‘sweat’, you get ‘EAT.’ To eat, you must work hard.”
Despite the difficulties in his life, he expressed his faith in God for a bright future. “Hope is what kept me moving forward,” he said. “With hard work and God’s blessing, you can achieve a lot. Without God’s help, even what looks like success might not be true success.”
“I’m not shy about acknowledging God’s role in my journey,” he added. “It is through God that a young boy from this community has reached so many places in life.”
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