The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has empowered orphans and students in Liberia as part of the activities marking its 49th anniversary.
The Office of the Resident Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in Liberia commemorated the 49th anniversary with the beneficiaries in Barclay Farm, Margibi County, District #2.
The 49th anniversary, with the theme “Enhancing Regional Unity, Peace and Security”, was a departure from the usual celebrations.
As an ECOWAS of the People, the Resident Representative Office in Liberia sought to take the celebrations to the less privileged in society.
The anniversary was celebrated with orphans and students of the Bendu M. Van Elementary and Junior High School in Barclay Farm, Margibi County (D2).
This was done in collaboration with the ECOWAS Volunteers Program, Interns from the ECOWAS Young Professional Program and the National Financial Manager of the West African Health Organisation in Liberia.
As the 49th anniversary coincided with the Menstrual Hygiene Day, awareness raising on menstrual hygiene was a key aspect of the day’s activities.
As part of the activities, both girls and boys were educated on the myths and negative mindsets in relation to menstruation, while training on making reusable sanitary pads would be implemented during the week.
In remarks at the event, ECOWAS Resident Representative, H.E. Josephine Nkrumah, said the theme of the 49th anniversary is a reflection of the current challenges confronted by the sub-region.
She said it is a reminder for community citizens to collectively work together towards unity, peace and strengthen security.
H. E. Nkrumah further urged students to forge unity and peace in their daily activities to build a better sub-region.
The Resident Representative Office with the ECOWAS Volunteers donated food and non-food items to the orphanage, to support the dire need of orphanage, as well as, including sanitary packages to girls at the event.
A donation of text books, exercise books, clothing, detergents and food in the amount of $5,000 was made to the orphanage.
ECOWAS was established when the ECOWAS Treaty was signed by 15 West African Heads of State and Government on the 28th of May 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The ECOWAS region spans an area of 5.2 million square kilometres, with member states being Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was set up to promote co-operation and integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa to raise the living standards of its peoples.
It was also to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations among member states and contribute to the progress and development of the African Continent.
In 2007, ECOWAS Secretariat was transformed into a Commission, headed by the President, assisted by a vice president and five commissioners, comprising experienced bureaucrats who are providing the leadership in this new orientation.
As part of this renewal process, ECOWAS is implementing critical and strategic programmes that will deepen cohesion and progressively eliminate identified barriers to full integration.
In this way, the estimated 300 million citizens of the community can ultimately take ownership for the realisation of the new vision of moving from an ECOWAS of States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity to All” by 2050.
