Published: October 1, 2025
MONROVIA — The Civil Service Agency says more than 1,000 classroom chairs are nearing completion under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.’s “One Chair, One Child” initiative, financed through salaries withheld from government officials who failed to declare their assets.
CSA Director-General Josiah F. Joekai Jr., speaking Wednesday during a tour of the first batch of chairs at the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC), said the project is proving skeptics wrong.
“What many had dismissed as a myth is becoming a tangible achievement,” Joekai said. “The money taken from suspended officials is being reinvested in the future of our children.”
Joekai said the chairs will be turned over to the Ministry of Education for nationwide distribution by November.
Skills Training Driving Impact
Youth and Sports Minister Cole Bangalu, who joined the inspection, praised the craftsmanship of MVTC trainees and staff.
“These chairs are being produced by Liberians, for Liberian children,” Bangalu said. “This shows that skills training is not just theoretical — it can have immediate impact.”
The “One Chair, One Child” program, launched earlier this year, seeks to reduce the chronic shortage of classroom furniture in public schools.
Nationwide Demand Remains High
Assistant Education Minister for General Education Ericson W. Boakai welcomed the first phase of the initiative but stressed that much more is needed.
He said at least 250,000 chairs are required to meet demand nationwide, as thousands of students still sit on bare floors during lessons.
The Boakai administration has framed the effort as part of its broader drive to channel public funds toward visible improvements in education and youth development.
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