Neufville: Liberian students must empower themselves
Mrs Neufville tells the students that failure should not be an option
Liberian students have been called upon to empower themselves with the tools to give them wisdom and guidance because they are future leaders.
This call was made on Friday March 22 by Venetta Chesson Neufville, finance officer of GIZ Liberia, a German development agency operating in Liberia, when she served as guest speaker at the installation of the student council government of the Wariebi Academy in Gardnersville, just outside the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
Neufville said “You are the edge walkers, the leaders of the future. Empower yourself with the right tools to help you bring wisdom and guidance to your community, your school and your country. You must sharpen your visionary consciousness, intuitive sensitivity and risk-taking capabilities.
Neufville who spoke on the theme “Education and its importance to leadership” she told the students education is very essential to every human being,” adding that without education, a human is placed into the category of animals.”
She reminded that students that they “need roots to face the reality of the tremendous challenges that lie ahead and the wings to seek imaginative solutions to these challenges.”
Speaking particularly to the female students she noted: “Let’s face the truth here today. It is no secret that we live in a society where females must work two times hard as a man to get at the top. Even if you make your way to the top, some will doubt that it wasn’t because of your hard work. They attribute your success to some unspeakable, unimaginable things.
“For our young future leaders present here today, especially the girls who are faced with, or will, face all kinds of challenges through their academic sojourn, this moment, this inaugural program of a female student as the school president, serves as a wake-up call for you to confront the challenges of the moment with passion for a secured future.”
Mrs Neufville: “But I tell you, those unspeakable and unimaginable things did not deter a one-time young Liberian female student, a one-time teenager like you, a one-time high school student like you, from becoming a diplomat and jurist, the only African female President of the United Nations General Assembly, the second woman from any nation to head the United Nations.
“She became Liberia’s 39th Permanent Representative to the United Nations, She also served as Assistant Secretary of the State of Liberia. She was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Liberia, today she is remembered in the history of Liberia, her name is written down as one of Liberia’s noble female leaders.”
Mrs. Neufville told the students that they face great challenges ahead but failure should not be an option for them.
“The road to a better education will be steep, it may not be easy. There will be great challenges to face. Please keep your heads above the water. There will be times when you want to give up but I want you to have faith in yourself. Failure should never be an option for you. Continue to work with the faith that hard study will yield good results.
Sometimes you will want to throw in the towel and give up, but please keep fighting. I know what I am saying, because I live it too. Keep fighting because Liberia needs you than ever before.”
In conclusion, she reminded parents of their responsibility to educate their children, especially the girls. “Make your daughters so capable that you don’t have to worry who will marry her.
“Instead of saving money for her wedding day, spend it well on her
education. Most importantly, instead of preparing her for marriage,
prepare her for herself. Teach her self-love and self-confidence. Send the girls to school. They must get the education that we very fondly send our
boys to get in schools and vocational institutes.”
