By: Emmanuel Ballah – Bong County Correspondent
Gbarnga, Bong County – As part of a broader national push for digital inclusion, the United Bong County Association in the Americas (UBCAA) is helping to close the digital skills gap in rural Liberia by providing free computer literacy training for young people in Bong County.
The initiative aligns with President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s vision to train 10,000 youth nationwide in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) — a key step toward creating a vibrant middle class and boosting the country’s economy through job creation.
In response to the limited digital education among grade school and college students in rural areas, the UBCAA, a network of Bong County citizens residing in the United States, launched a computer literacy program through its Liberia Program Office in Gbarnga a few years ago.
Since its inception, the program has already trained more than 200 young people in essential computer skills, including Microsoft Office.
The current cohort, the fifth since the program began, has over 90 participants from diverse backgrounds — including students, security personnel, healthcare workers, bankers, and journalists.
“Our goal is to enhance the human resource capacity of Bong County and prepare our youth for the job market,” said Mr. Reuben G. Dolo, Acting Country Director of UBCAA. “We remain committed to human development in the county.”
Dolo also revealed plans to expand the program to lower Bong County, with the construction of a new computer lab and café in Totota, a move aimed at broadening the organization’s reach and impact.
Participants in the program are expressing overwhelming appreciation for the opportunity to gain digital literacy skills at no cost.
For Beatrice Lowell, a graduate of Cuttington University undergraduate program, her only experience with computers was at Cuttington when she did introduction to Windows as a required course in her entire education journey. Now, she acquires basic computer skills that would help her prepare and submit her reports as a social worker- thanks to the UBCAA’s free computer literacy program.
She is commending the leadership of Mr. Caimon Joe Kollie, the National President of the UBCAA for taking her from darkness to light. “I was in total darkness- going to school up to the university level without basic computer skills. I am glad that I can do so many things on the computer now,” Beatrice said.
Peter T. Sumo is a student of John Flomo Bakalu High School in Gbarnga, who is desirous of becoming an IT Specialist. He described the training as relevant to his career goal; stating that it is helping to shape his career path.
Peter, who once faced difficulties with his school assignments due to lack of computer knowledge, has acquired knowledge in internet explorer and can now do his assignments with ease and organize data in tables and cells, using Excel. “Before coming to this training, I faced a hard time doing my assignments, especially operating the computer.
For Marthaline Kermue, a graduate of Salvation Army High School desiring to study Accounting, this is her first experience with the computer. “Some of us, this is our first time learning computers since we were born. It is like getting a new life skill for me,” she asserted.
Knowing that computer would be her basic working tool after her college graduation, Marthaline views this training as the perfect opportunity to begin her career journey.
The UBCAA’s initiative serves not just as a skills-building effort, but as a vital tool for youth empowerment and socio-economic growth in Bong County. With continued expansion, it promises to transform the futures of hundreds more young Liberians.
