Quardu-Gboni Gets First High School

After decades of educational deprivation and hardship, the Government of Liberia has broken ground for the first-ever senior high school in Quardu-Gboni District, marking a historic milestone for one of Lofa County’s most underserved communities.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held Saturday in Bakedu Town, was led by Minister of Education Madam Jarso Jallah and Lofa County Superintendent Hon. J. Lavelah Massaquoi, drawing local leaders, elders, students, and residents who described the project as long overdue.

Since the creation of Quardu-Gboni as an administrative district, the absence of a high school has forced generations of students to endure difficult and costly journeys to Voinjama City or Zorzor District in pursuit of secondary education.

Many families, unable to afford transportation, lodging, or school fees away from home, saw their children abandon schooling entirely after completing junior high.

Parents recounted stories of students walking long distances, living with relatives under strained conditions, or dropping out due to financial hardship and safety concerns.

For years, the lack of a high school has been cited as a major contributor to high dropout rates, early marriages, and limited economic opportunities in the district.

“This project is not just about buildings. It is about restoring hope, dignity, and opportunity to children who have been denied access to education simply because of where they were born,” Minister Jallah said.

Quardu-Gboni District, located in northern Lofa County near Liberia’s borders with Guinea and Sierra Leone, is largely rural and agrarian.

The district is home to thousands of residents who depend on subsistence farming and cross-border trade, yet it has historically lagged behind in access to basic social services, particularly education and vocational training.

Despite producing bright and ambitious students, the district has remained without a senior high school an omission local leader have described as one of the district’s most painful development gaps.

Superintendent Massaquoi acknowledged the community’s resilience and patience, noting that the new high school represents a turning point.

“This is a historic moment for Quardu-Gboni. For the first time, our children will be able to complete their secondary education at home, surrounded by their families and community,” he said.

In a related development, Minister Jallah also visited Sarkonnedu Town, where she announced the government’s decision to continue and complete a Vocational Training Center that was originally initiated through a citizen-led self-help effort.

The facility, once completed, is expected to provide practical skills training for young people and adults in trades such as carpentry, masonry, tailoring, and agriculture, offering alternatives for those not pursuing formal academic education.

The two projects underscore the government’s broader push to expand access to education and skills development in remote and underserved areas of Lofa County and beyond.

For residents of Quardu-Gboni District, the groundbreaking represents more than a construction project it signals the end of a long-standing struggle and the beginning of new possibilities.

As the first stones are laid in Bakedu Town, hopes are rising that no child in Quardu-Gboni will again be forced to leave home simply to attend high school