ArcelorMittal is constructing three new playgrounds in Yekepa, Grand Bassa and Bong counties to provide children the opportunity to cultivate social, emotional, cognitive and physical abilities.
Since then, this has proved that children are constantly learning through play—making new friends, sharing, taking turns and interacting with other children.
These community playgrounds built by ArcelorMittal will offer a multitude of benefits that go far beyond aesthetics and giving kids something funny to do away from the classroom. They are at the heart of the select communities and an indispensable gathering space that can benefit all children.
Students, local government officials and community dwellers in both Frank Diggs and Zoweinta Towns in Grand Bassa and Bong counties have been happy praising the work of ArcelorMittal for the on-going project.
At one of the groundbreaking ceremonies in Frank Diggs Town over the weekend, a woman named Alice, filled with excitement, detailed how she believes the new playground will help transform school-going children into productive adults.
“We want to thank ArcelorMittal for this new playground. Since my husband and I came here, this is the first time the children will be able to play free in a place dedicated for them to play,” she stated.
Alice said she believes the project will achieve its goal of keeping children in communities close to the train track from playing along the rail.
“It is risky for the children to use the railway as playground, and I think ArcelorMittal is farsighted enough to do this, and that is why we the women of this town are grateful to the company for this playground,” Alice maintained.
The Paramount Chief of Blehzee District, Andrew Kpah, was also appreciative of AML’s kindness to its host communities. He wished the beneficiaries will use the playground for the intended purpose.
Chief Kpah committed the community to helping in whatever way possible and ensure that the project is completed and dedicated in time.
In Zoweinta, Bong County, after a series of acclamations by residents of the town, their representative, Albert Hills, lauded the community playground project as “great relief”.
“The recreational center is a great relief to our children because many at times some of them, when they travel and see these things in other communities, they feel bad and think that society don’t have time for them, and they also feel that they have been left behind,” Representative Hills observed.
“I personally want to extend my thanks and appreciation to ArcelorMittal-Liberia family for this recreation center project, that will put smile on the faces of our children,” he added.
The Bong district #1 representative urged constituents to be a part of “this process because, this recreation center will encourage those of us whose kids are not going to school to now begin going to school with their friends because the school and the facility will now be more attractive”.
Representative Hills however appealed to ArcelorMittal to see if the project can go across all districts in Bong County “so as to put smile on the faces of our kids and future leaders”.
ArcelorMittal’s community development teams in the three counties have committed that all playgrounds will be completed and dedicated at the end of April 2023.