It is reported that sixty volunteers from ArcelorMittal Liberia and Makinto Village teamed up with nine ArcelorMittal international volunteers from eight countries Belgium, Brazil, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Spain and the USA to complete the building of a new school in Makinto, Nimba County as well as conduct medical outreach to the communities.

In support of the Liberia Solidarity Holidays Project an ArcelorMittal Foundation initiative, the volunteers headed by the ArcelorMittal Foundation Project Manager for Africa & West Europe, Asier Marquina, arrived in Liberia to great appreciation from the people of Makinto.

Honourable Ms Josephus Gbamon Makinto Village Town Chief said “We have never seen such a thing before that a company employees can leave their work to come help us build our school and give us free medicine.”

Ms Nazarene Tubman co-chair on the project said “It was phenomenal. All of the volunteers worked tirelessly, and the medical team was able to treat 520 patients in six days in Makinto Village and nearby Sehyigeh Village.”

At the formal dedication ceremony of the new Makinto Public School on December 6th, Nimba County’s Superintendent, Christiana Dagadu, thanked the volunteers and ArcelorMittal for the initiative as residents of Makinto and Sehyigeh Villages, ArcelorMittal representatives, and local leaders from the areas looked on. Three ArcelorMittal employees were given traditional names by the Makinto people as a sign of their appreciation for their commitment to the project.

Makinto a town of a little over 800 inhabitants is located 34 kilometres outside of Yekepa where ArcelorMittal currently operates its iron ore mining concession in Liberia. Prior to the building of the new school, which will cater to approximately 200 students from the village area, kids took lessons in a one-room, dilapidated mud hut. Other kids had to walk over two kilometres to attend school in the nearby Sehyigeh Village.

Mr Rajesh Goel CEO of ArcelorMittal Liberia said “The new school will provide kids with a quality learning environment and ArcelorMittal will provide school furniture, books and a library. While he was visiting Makinto with his wife to see the progress of work and encourage the volunteers, he also agreed to provide study material to the students.”

Mr Marcus Wleh head of Corporate Responsibility for ArcelorMittal Liberia said “We saw a dire need for this school. Children had to walk for long hours while others risk injury from the old school building. Our kids in Liberia must be educated, and we have the capacity to assist in making this possible. We will continue striving towards excellence in education with projects like these and in 2012 our mission is to support similar initiatives in other communities.”

With two schools in Yekepa already in operations by the steel company, construction of a modern school in Wamah Town, Bong County, near its Green Hill Quarry concession is also underway. The former Vocational Training Institute in Yekepa has been slated in 2012 for both renovations and operations. This higher learning facility will focus on providing technical education in various fields including mining.

(Sourced from allafrica.com)