MDI and Australian Gov't Constructs School Bulding For Community

Middle Island Resources Constructed School Building

Middle Island Resources Limited (MDI) and the Australian Government have constructed a school building comprising three (3) class rooms, a library, teacher's lounge, storeroom, Principal's office and modern toilet as an annex to the Gborho Jr. High School in Zai Town, Grand Gedeh.

They also renovated the Toe Memorial Institute in Toe Town in the county.

Middle Island Resources Limited (MDI), an ASX-listed company, listed on 16 December 2010, has gold exploration assets in Liberia.

The Company has a stated policy commitment to contribute up to 5% of its exploration budget each year to social development initiatives within the communities in which it operates.

In an effort to meet up with this commitment which is carved under its Social Development programs, MDI decided to address one of the major and prioritized needs in Zai Town, Tchien District, where the company's main camp has been established.

This need which the community placed above all other needs submitted is the construction of an Annex to the government school in Zai town and renovation of the Toe Memorial Institute in Toe Town.

These schools cater to close to one thousand students from the Gborho Chiefdom including Zai Town and several surrounding towns and villages The Australian Government, through its Direct Assistance Program, also showed its support for the people by providing the essential co-financing for the project.

In the implementation of this project, MDI contracted the services of the Evangelical Children Rehabilitation Program (ECREP) to carry out Social Mobilization of the Community to take ownership of the project and Barwulue Agro Development and Reconstruction Agency (BADRA) to carry out the construction. All intended to also create jobs for the locals as part of its Social commitment.

Speaking recently at the dedicatory program, the representative of MDI, Madam Sarah Mackenzie said "I am happy to say that in the past two and a half years we have been working in Grand Gedeh we have been able to make some contributions to the people who have welcomed us into their communities". In Toe Town she continued: "where we had our first camp, we repaired and refurbished Toe Memorial Institute, and we are providing zinc for the roof of the new Toe Town Elementary and Nursery School".

The County Project Planner of Grand Gedeh, Washington Sah-Flah Yonly represented the Government of Liberia at the program and turned the key over to the County Education Officer, Bestman Charpy and the PTA.

ECREP's CEO, G. Abraham Powell, reminded community members of the workshop held by ECREP on development where the community presented how they envision their communities in 10 years from now.

Mr. Razak Ballah, Country Manager for MDI Liberia, closed the inauguration ceremony by thanking all who worked together to make the project successful. "MDI is an exploration company, not a mining company", he emphasized. "We are interested in looking for minerals, but also in so doing, in contributing to community development, this project will enable your children to have an education up to 12th Grade", the MDI Liberia Country Manager added.