The Nathaniel Koah Educational and Community Empowerment Foundation (NKECEF) has broken ground for the construction of the Mehnseah Bridge, a key entry point to the Yarwein-Mehnsonoh Statutory District in Nimba County Electoral District #9.
The Foundation says the bridge, which is being constructed at a cost of US$25,000, is intended to serve not only residents of Mehnla Township but the entire district, providing a critical link for farmers, traders and other residents traveling to and from communities across Yarwein-Mehnsonoh.
Manager of NKECEF, Mr. Bobby M. Tingban, made the disclosure during a groundbreaking ceremony held over the weekend in Mehnla Township.
The ceremony began at the town hall built over the grave of the late historic Paramount Chief Weh-Dorlea before moving to the Mehnseah riverside, where the groundbreaking for the bridge was conducted.
Mr. Tingban thanked residents of Mehnla and citizens throughout Yarwein-Mehnsonoh for welcoming the Foundation’s development initiatives.
He explained that following the 2023 elections, he began touring communities across the district to assess their development needs.
According to him, whenever he encountered communities without adequate school buildings or without schools altogether, he took photographs and shared them online to draw attention to the conditions. He said he similarly documented poor road conditions and reported them through radio programs.
Mr. Tingban said Bishop Nathaniel G. Koah and his wife later saw some of the photographs and videos he had posted and were concerned about the conditions facing residents of the district.
He quoted them as asking: “Is this the kind of life our people are living? We have to do something about it.”
Bishop Koah, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, said NKECEF’s various development interventions across the district have a combined targeted expenditure of more than US$200,000.
He said the initiatives are intended to complement and buttress several development efforts being undertaken by the Government of Liberia.
“We have to demonstrate love for our district by diversified mediums through sacrificial services, even when you are not yet working with the government,” Bishop Koah said.
Mr. Tingban said NKECEF’s interventions began with support to communities that lacked adequate educational infrastructure.
He disclosed that Bishop Koah first sent him to Klodine Town with 80 bags of cement, steel rods and other construction materials to support the construction of a school. The school is now at the roofing stage.
He said when Bishop Koah asked whether there were other communities without schools, Yefean Town was identified.
The Foundation subsequently sent 80 bags of cement and other construction materials to Yefean, where construction of a school is now underway.
In Kwendine Township, the Foundation provided 60 bags of cement to support the rehabilitation of a school building that had not been plastered and lacked a finished floor. The facility is now being plastered and floored, Mr. Tingban said.
Beyond education, the Foundation has also provided support to the Voice of Yarwein-Mehnsonoh, described as the only radio station in the district.
According to Mr. Tingban, NKECEF purchased a motorbike for the station and installed an air conditioner to strengthen its operations.
The Foundation has also broken ground for the construction of a youth center in Mehnla Township.
Mr. Tingban said NKECEF has informed residents of Zekapa that it intends to construct what he described as the biggest youth center in the district there because Zekapa serves as the district headquarters.
He further disclosed that the Foundation sent 80 bags of cement and 25 bundles of zinc to Gogorpa Town to support completion of a school project initiated by the late Hon. Johnson Gwaikolo, former Representative of the district.
He said construction work on the Gogorpa school is ongoing.
Mr. Tingban said the decision to construct the Mehnseah Bridge followed Bishop Koah’s visit to the district, during which he observed the deteriorating condition of the existing crossing.
He said Bishop Koah was particularly concerned because of the bridge’s importance to communities throughout the district.
“This bridge has been here since our youth days. I have gone to the United States and spent over 20 years, and we have had leaders after leaders and yet the place is still the same,” Bishop Koah said.
“This bridge is not only for Mehnla Township, it is for the entire district. This is the entrance point of the district. If you are in Ganwee as a farmer, or a businessman in Nyakiayee, Zekapa, Blamein, you will have to pass over this bridge with your goods before getting access to the market,” he added.
According to Mr. Tingban, after returning to the United States, Bishop Koah and his wife decided to undertake the bridge project.
The couple subsequently sent a delegation to meet with citizens of the district and discuss the project. He said large quantities of crushed rock have already been delivered to the construction site.
Addressing the jubilant gathering, Mr. Tingban said the purpose of the ceremony was to officially inform residents that the Foundation was prepared to construct the bridge.
He appealed to community members to contribute local materials, including sand and wawa planks, to support the project.
As an initial contribution toward the local effort, the Foundation provided L$34,000 for the purchase of sand and wawa planks.
Mr. Tingban also urged residents to take ownership of the project and support its successful completion.
He placed the total cost of the bridge project at US$25,000, saying it is being fully funded by Bishop Koah and his family.
Mr. Andrew Larmie, Development Superintendent of Yarwein-Mehnsonoh Statutory District, welcomed the Foundation’s development initiatives and expressed appreciation for its interventions in various communities.
Mr. Larmie said he had personally seen several of the projects being undertaken by the Foundation and prayed that God would continue to provide resources to Bishop Koah and grant him long life to complete the initiatives.
“Many times when some people undertake development, they do not inform me, but once it is development, I go there. For Bishop Koah, I received a call from him inviting me to grace the occasion,” Mr. Larmie said.
“I am not a politician, but once it is development, I am willing to work with the Koah Foundation whenever called upon,” he added.
Elder Moses Sayzulu, another local leader, encouraged residents to protect the construction materials being provided for the project and to support the Foundation’s development efforts.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Mr. James Volar Volar, District Commissioner; Mr. Andrew Larmie, Development Superintendent; Mr. Sam Wonayen, Paramount Chief; Mr. Paye Dorlea, Zone Chief; Hon. Tunwah, Paramount Chief of Zehnla Clan; Elder Moses Sayzulu; Hon. Albert Dolo, retired Magistrate of the district; Mr. G. Fahn Kruah, Principal of Mehnla Public School; and other local leaders.
The town was reportedly packed with citizens from across Yarwein-Mehnsonoh who gathered to witness the groundbreaking ceremony and hear details of the Foundation’s development plans for the district.
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