AGL Renovates Harlandsville Public School

AGL Liberia has renovated the Lower Harlandsville Public School System in Before Town, Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts aimed at improving the learning environment for students and working conditions for teachers.

The intervention also includes the provision of 72 bags and nine computers to support the school.

Speaking during the dedication ceremony, AGL Liberia General Manager Remi Ayikoue Amavi said the company was honored to support the school and contribute to improving conditions for students and teachers.

Amavi said AGL’s decision to support the school was informed by the company’s belief that the future of Liberia and Africa depends on how children are prepared today.

He said the intervention is intended to give children greater opportunities to learn in a conducive environment and prepare them to become responsible citizens and future leaders.

According to Amavi, even when resources are limited, organizations and individuals should contribute what they can to improve children’s health, education and general well-being.

He said children in school today could become future ministers, presidents and other decision-makers whose actions could affect their communities, Liberia and the wider African continent.

Amavi recalled that he visited the area in March, where he met the Mayor, who, according to Amavi, told him that he was a teacher. He said Meyer subsequently accompanied him to identify a school that AGL could support.

The AGL Liberia General Manager said the company subsequently visited the school and met with its principal.

He said the intervention reflects AGL’s corporate social responsibility commitment to contributing to community development and improving the lives of people in communities where it operates.

“AGL Liberia is part of AGL Group,” Amavi said, noting that the wider group operates in 45 countries across Africa and has about 23,000 employees. He added that the group’s parent company is MSC.

Amavi described AGL as a major logistics company in Africa that provides innovative logistics solutions and supports businesses and economic operators.

However, he stressed that human beings remain the company’s most important consideration, particularly children who must be given access to education and better learning conditions.

“Human beings become really human beings, you are supposed to come by the children, you are supposed to go to school,” Amavi said.

He urged stakeholders to work together to give children hope and improve their learning conditions, saying such efforts would help build a better country led by better-prepared people.

For his part, Emmanuel D. Cole, Principal of the Lower Harlandsville Public School System, described 2026 as the best year in the history of the school.

Cole said the school has been in existence since 1952 and that the Government of Liberia had rented the facility for decades before acquiring the property in 2026.

According to him, the government’s acquisition of the property marked a major development for the institution after 74 years of operating from a rented facility.

Cole said the government had spent substantial resources renting the school over the years, but the facility is now owned by the Government of Liberia.

He identified the government’s acquisition of the property and AGL’s complete renovation of the school as two major reasons for considering 2026 a historic year for the institution.

Cole said previous renovation efforts at the school were largely carried out on a piecemeal basis because of limited resources.

He explained that repairs were often undertaken in small portions, including replacing individual sheets of zinc and addressing different sections of the building whenever resources became available.

According to Cole, the approach resulted in partial repairs rather than a comprehensive renovation.

“Today, we have seen our building being renovated completely,” Cole said, contrasting the current intervention with the previous practice of carrying out repairs piece by piece.

How AGL Came In

Cole said the school did not independently approach AGL for the intervention.

Instead, he explained that AGL initially approached local authorities in Buchanan seeking a school to assist.

Cole recalled that while he was in his office, the city mayor and an AGL official visited him.

He said the mayor introduced the AGL representative and explained that the company had approached the local government with an interest in supporting a school.

Cole said the school was subsequently identified for consideration, leading to discussions with AGL about the proposed assistance.

He said the engagement began around March, while the school sent a letter to AGL’s local office in April.

Following the communication, Cole said the school received the green light that AGL would provide assistance.

He said the intervention came at a time when the school was facing significant infrastructure challenges, while the government did not always have the resources to immediately address all of its needs.

Cole expressed appreciation to AGL for intervening and transforming the facility.

He recalled that conditions at the school before the intervention were poor, with some classrooms presenting difficulties for both students and teachers.

Cole thanked AGL for the support and expressed hope that the company would continue assisting the community.

Buchanan City Mayor George B. Gaybueh also welcomed the intervention, drawing on his own experience as a former teacher at the school.

Gaybueh said he taught at the institution for five years and understood both its potential and the challenges it faced.

He recalled that when he learned of AGL’s interest in supporting the school, he viewed the opportunity as significant because of the difficult conditions under which teachers and students had previously operated.

According to Gaybueh, the school experienced problems including leaking facilities and inadequate classroom conditions.

He recalled situations in which teachers and students had to work and study in difficult conditions, including excessive heat inside classrooms.

Gaybueh said that despite the challenges, teachers continued to work and students continued to attend classes.

He said the situation underscored the importance of securing assistance for the school.

The mayor also recalled being contacted by an official and asked to visit the school after AGL representatives arrived.

He said he was only a few yards from the school and reached the facility within minutes, where he saw AGL officials and vehicles at the site.

Gaybueh said he was impressed by the work being carried out and the monitoring of the renovation.

He praised the AGL team for ensuring that the work was effectively undertaken and monitored.

The mayor expressed gratitude to AGL and its staff, describing the intervention as an important development for the school.

Amavi said the renovation of the Lower Harlandsville Public School System forms part of AGL Liberia’s broader commitment to supporting communities where it operates.

He said AGL’s corporate social responsibility is focused on contributing to community improvement and improving people’s lives.

While emphasizing AGL’s role as a logistics company supporting businesses and economic operators, Amavi said the company also recognizes the importance of investing in people, particularly children.

He said providing children with better opportunities to learn is essential to preparing them for leadership and responsibility in the future.

The intervention, which includes the complete renovation of the school and the provision of 72 beds and nine computers, is intended to improve conditions for students and teachers.

Amavi called for continued collective efforts to improve children’s lives and create learning environments that can better prepare them for the future.

He said such investments could help give children hope and prepare a generation capable of making decisions that transform their communities, Liberia and Africa.