The Nathaniel Varney Massaquoi Elementary and Junior High School is a public school within Liberia's Monrovia Consolidated School System, located in the West Point Township. The school was established in 1972,[3] and is named for Nathaniel Varney Massaquoi (1905–1962), a Liberian educator and politician from the Vai community, who rose to become Secretary of Public Instruction.[4] It serves as the only government school for a township of some 80,000 residents.[1] The school received global attention in 2014–2015, when it was attacked during protests amidst the 2014 Ebola crisis, and was then restored, painted with bright murals, and reopened through international efforts.
| Nathaniel Varney Massaquoi School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
West Point Township, Monrovia Liberia | |
| Information | |
| Opened | 1972 |
| Principal | Momoh Mason[1] |
| Grades | Elementary and junior high |
| Campus size | 1600 students (2012)[2] |
Ebola crisis
editIn August 2014, protesters broke into and looted the building, upon discovering that the government had quietly assigned the school to be used as an isolation center for suspected Ebola victims.[5] The Ministry of Education announced a reopening for the school on 16 February 2015, but extensive damage and possible contamination delayed the resumption of schooling;[6] it remained closed after schools were officially ordered reopened on 3 March.[3]
Restoration
editIn 2015, the building underwent extensive refurbishment, by Liberian and international agencies as well as local volunteers. UNMIL provided a military officer as a project director, the Armed Forces of Liberia provided engineers, and the NGO Department of Children, Families and Humanitarian Services coordinated around 100 volunteers on day and overnight shifts.[7] Further support was provided by Welthungerhilfe, and UNMEER.[8]
Artwork
editThe building received extensive murals through collaboration between Liberian and American artists. Chattanooga street artist Nanook (David Cogdill) produced a large mural inside the school, while Baltimore artists Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn designed the school's ornamented exterior wall.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Ebola crisis: Liberia bounces back - BBC News". Bbc.com. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ "Gbarnga Community Learning Center Project Proposal" (PDF). Hope For Children of Africa. 25 January 2012.
- ^ a b FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia) (2015-05-09). "Liberia: 'Neglected' West Point School Disappointed in Liberian Gov't". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ Elwood D. Dunn; Amos J. Beyan; Carl Patrick Burrowes (20 December 2000). Historical Dictionary of Liberia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 224–. ISBN 978-1-4616-5931-0.
- ^ "Clashes in Monrovia, Liberia as West African Ebola epidemic grows - World Socialist Web Site". Wsws.org. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia) (2015-04-28). "Liberia: Liberty to Rescue - Unknown Factory Comes to West Point Aid". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ "Liberia: West Pointers Volunteer to Repair School". allAfrica.com. 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ "Voorheen Ebola centrum nu de N.V. Massaquoi school in Monrovia | VersPers". Verspers.nl. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ "Baltimore artists behind vivid mural for Liberian school reopened after Ebola crisis". Baltimore Sun. 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ^ Ingrid Gercama. "Baltimore Artist Helps Turn Liberian School Into A Mural Masterpiece : Goats and Soda". NPR. Retrieved 2015-06-02.