BUCHANAN, GRAND BASSA COUNTY—The Nyonblee Cares Foundation has graduated 52 students from its Speed School Program and enrolled 217 additional learners, expanding efforts to provide educational opportunities to children who have missed out on formal schooling.

The graduation and enrollment ceremony, held over the weekend in Buchanan, brought together education stakeholders, community members, parents and students to celebrate the achievements of the graduates and highlight the need for increased investment in primary education across Liberia.

The latest graduation represents an increase from 28 students who completed the program last year, according to the Foundation’s Director, George Stewart.

Stewart said,” The program targets children between the ages of nine and 14 who have been unable to access formal education, allowing them to catch up academically and transition into the formal school system”.

He disclosed that the Foundation has expanded the program into new locations to accommodate 217 additional students, while the 52 graduates have been integrated into formal schools.

The Foundation Director added that the graduates will continue receiving educational sponsorship from local and international supporters, regardless of their families’ political affiliations.

Stewart emphasized that investing in young people is essential to Liberia’s development, noting that education remains a critical pathway to creating opportunities for children and strengthening communities.

Beyond education, he said the Foundation conducted three free surgical outreaches this year and introduced robotics activities for young people as part of its broader commitment to healthcare, innovation, and youth development.

The Foundation’s continued expansion underscores the importance of support from international partners, including its U.S. board and other sponsors, in helping children who face financial and other barriers to education.

The Foundation says continued sponsorship will be critical to ensuring that students do not abandon their education because their families cannot afford school-related expenses.

Meanwhile, Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence called for the expansion of the Speed School Program to reach more children across Buchanan and other parts of Grand Bassa County.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senator Karnga-Lawrence identified poverty as a major obstacle preventing children from accessing education and appealed to more individuals and institutions to sponsor students through school.

She also disclosed that 103 teachers had recently obtained C-certificate qualifications through partnerships involving the Ministry of Education and other institutions, describing teacher development as another important step toward improving educational outcomes.

The Senate Pro Tempore further revealed that the program is expected to produce its first group of twelfth-grade graduates, an achievement she said would demonstrate the initiative’s continued growth.

In her keynote address, Former Grand Bassa County Superintendent Julia Duncan-Cassell pushed for the Ministry of Education to give greater attention to primary education across Liberia.

Madam Duncan-Cassell stressed that primary education provides the foundation for children’s academic development and future success, warning that children who miss out on basic schooling risk falling further behind.

She said strengthening the early stages of education should remain a national priority, particularly for children from disadvantaged communities who face difficulties accessing formal schooling.

Her call comes as the Nyonblee Cares Foundation continues to provide accelerated learning opportunities for children who have missed school or fallen behind their peers.

For the graduates, completing the Speed School Program marks an important step toward continuing their education in the formal school system.

The transition offers the students an opportunity to pursue further academic studies after receiving support through the accelerated learning initiative.

They are also appealing to Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence through the Foundation to provide feeding for students while attending the school.

At the same time, parents and guardians thanked the Foundation for its continued support to their children’s education in the county.

The continued sponsorship, they hope, will help their children remain in school and pursue their educational ambitions.

The expansion to 217 additional students means that more children will have the opportunity to acquire foundational learning skills and work toward entering or advancing within the formal education system.

The graduation and enrollment ceremony highlights the role that partnerships among government institutions, private foundations, international supporters, and local communities can play in addressing educational exclusion.

As the Nyonblee Cares Foundation expands its work, calls for more sponsors and stronger government attention to primary education remain central to ensuring that children who have missed out on schooling are not left behind.

The Foundation’s Speed School initiative is part of its broader effort to invest in children and young people through education, healthcare and skills development.