By: Shallon S. Gonlor
Contacts: +231881471044/231778191516
Yekepa, Nimba County Liberia: – Student Isaac Gweh of Area ‘B’ School in the mining town of Yekepa has won the championship of an annual spelling competition.
Gweh won the ArcelorMittal-Liberia Annual Spelling Bee Competition for 2022/2023 ahead of two others who had vowed to emerge as top performers.
Student Gweh was awarded USD$200 cash prize, a gold medal and the Spelling Bee trophy on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at a well-attended event in Yekepa.
Rafael Odo of Area ‘B’ School emerged as 2nd winner, awarded USD$150, a gold-colored medal, while third placed winner, Emmanuel Lakpor of Area ‘ C’ School received US $100 with a gold medal.
At the close of the spelling bee competition, all participating students were handed medals for their individual performances.
The competition, organized by the ArcelorMittal-Liberia School System in Yekepa, featured 24 students from eight primary schools including Area ‘B and C’ Schools, St. Joseph, St. Martin, St. Francis, Prime System, Rev. Peter K. Siaway Inland Academy, and Free Pentecostal Schools respectively.
The event was held in the auditorium of the African Bible College University (ABCU) right by the AML Yekepa concessional area.
ArcelorMittal-Liberia School Superintendent-Peter Zuagar said the primary objective was to bring young students together to showcase their spelling skills.
According to him, the spelling bee tournament introduced by the Ministry of Education, Nimba County School System in collaboration with the ArcelorMittal-Liberia School System is an annual and long-term event to improve education outcome at the primary school level.
ArcelorMittal-Liberia said it believes that the learning process accompanying the spelling bee is likely to enhance child’s memory and allow them to develop better learning skills, which can prove to be highly beneficial during higher education.
Spelling Bee competitions like this one supported by AML can help beginner level students gain the confidence they need to speak in public and accept their mistakes, while also getting the applause their hard work deserves.
ArcelorMittal has over the years funded varied educational objectives across Liberia ranging from international to community level scholarships for scores of Liberians.
The company has either through its social development fund or on its own constructed, rehabilitated, or supported dozens of public and private schools especially in its host counties of Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba.
Under its training and development program, ArcelorMittal-Liberia in 2017 launched a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Yekepa, with a $7m investment.
The center has been providing young people with globally recognized and certified apprenticeship training for roles such as diesel mechanics, electricians, mechanical fitters, boilermakers, welders, and instrumentation technicians, it is one of a kind in the country.
The first group of 46 apprentices started their training in March 2018, and in March 2019 the second group of 54 students, including 6 women entered the training program.
AML said, “our aim is to have 50 apprentices graduating every year”.
