Published: April 15, 2026
MONROVIA — A windstorm that tore through Sroh Yoolah in Nimba County’s Twah River District on April 5 ripped large sections of the roof off Sroh Yoolah Public School, destroyed classrooms, and scattered learning materials and furniture, shutting down the only school serving a town of nearly 5,000 people with no clear timeline for reopening.
Principal Arthur M. Gbaynah said the damage was severe enough to halt all academic activities immediately and that more than 100 students have been out of class since the storm struck on a Sunday, leaving the school’s five teachers with nowhere to teach.
“As we speak, the school is temporarily closed. We are making efforts, talking to people to find a quick solution so that the children can return to the classrooms,” Gbaynah said.
School authorities have notified the District Education Office and the office of District No. 4 Representative Ernest M. Manseah in writing, and community members have been meeting to assess the damage and identify solutions. But Gbaynah said talks alone will not be enough. The school needs zinc bundles, cement, bricks, planks and direct financial support before rehabilitation can begin.
The school, established March 13, 1965, operates out of a structure built in 2006 by ZOA, an international NGO that worked across six Liberian counties helping communities rebuild after the 14-year civil war. The building was subsequently handed over to the Government of Liberia. Of the school’s five teachers, three are on government payroll and two serve as volunteers.
Sroh Yoolah is among the largest towns in Twah River District and functions as a key electoral center during national elections, making the school’s closure a disruption that extends beyond the classroom.
The incident is the latest illustration of the vulnerability of Liberia’s school infrastructure to extreme weather, particularly as the rainy season approaches. Education stakeholders have long warned that aging and under-resourced school buildings across the country are ill-equipped to withstand increasingly severe storms.
Authorities and partners have yet to announce any intervention. Community members and school officials say they cannot wait long.
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