Dougherty Rotary Club, Lee and Worth County schools team up to help Liberia

ALBANY — As school systems continue to embrace the digital age, more and more books are gathering dust as well as other items that lie stacked in storage at many school systems, including Lee and Worth counties.

Soon though, through an international project by the Dougherty County Rotary Club, those south Georgia castoffs will offer up an educational opportunities for students in Liberia.

The project began last year when Lee County School System Superintendent Larry Walters appeared as guest speaker at the Dougherty Rotary. Somehow the topic came around to the “tons” of surplus educational materials languishing in storehouses, Walters said, and the idea of shipping some of it to a third-world country began to pick up speed.

Dougherty County Rotary Club Rotary Club members Jennifer Vanston and Tammy McCrary said they immediately envisioned a shipment to Liberia, a poor African nation torn by 14 years of civil strife. Last year, Vanston flew to Liberia to arrange delivery of the donated school equipment.

“Many of the schools there have no furniture, pens, paper or a way for the students to get there,” Vanston said. “We’re so fortunate here. When I came back home I’d grab up some of the basic things, like pens, pencils, books and chairs and bring them over or send them by sea mail.”

After learning of the first container, Giddens, a Worth County Middle School teacher, approached school administrators and received instant approval to donate any unused books. English is the national language in Liberia, so it was a perfect match.

Other donations were received by Scholastic Books.

The second shipping container was loaded on Monday and is heading to Savannah and then to Monrovia, Liberia. The Rotary Club of Monrovia will receive the container and distribute the donations.