FROM RIVER TO FOOTBALL FIELD

Newly-built Clara Town and Doe Communities Football Field and bridge brings relief, recreation to populated district

A.      Macaulay Sombai, macaulay.sombai@frontpageafricaonline.com{077217428}

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ictor S. Coleman was overjoyed Saturday that the newly-constructed Clara Town and Doe Communities Football Field and Bridge was finally completed.

Much of Coleman’s joy was attributed to Robert Sirleaf, whose Office of the Senior Advisor to the President has been instrumental in yet another community-based project aimed at bringing recreation relief to hundreds in the populated district.

Said Coleman: “I am overjoyed to see the field opening today, I want thank Mr. Robert Sirleaf for fixing this field and I am very happy for the field to be opened today”.

For Coleman, the community field bridge project is one of the many opportunities he and other community members have been praying for over the past few years.

Coleman is hopeful that the rehabilitation of the field will bring the community closer together.

Mohammed Paasewe, who represented the office of the Senior Advisor at Saturday’s opening, told the two communities that they were very proud to be part of the program because when they first visited the field last December, they realized that it was a serious challenge for them to look after.

Said Paasewe: “The first time when we were crossing the bridge coming to this place; where we all consider a football field, people said it was impossible and difficult for us to achieve this goal. But I must tell you today that we are proud family and when I say proud family I mean the people who oversee this process with the help of the people of this District”.

Passawe says it was if it was not through the cooperation, input and involvement of the community members, they were not going to reach as far as they have reached today.

Passawe further noted that the OSA visited the field several times and the question from the community members have been the same. “We have seen Slipway, Logan Town, Bardnersville and PHP Community field they all have sitting capacities and they too need sitting capacities.”

Continued Passawe:“Our response over the period of time has been, we have done the first face of the project both the bridge and this football caused us $172,000 USD, all of you know when we came here first, the place was a river and now we have transformed it into a football field.”

Passawe said the office of the Senior Advisor just wants to manage and do things to their expectation but that they must remain patient because they all want to see how the field will respond to the heavy downpour of rain.

Passawe reminded residents of the community that the second phase of the project is around the corner and the OSA won’t leave until it achieves the goal of ensuring that the field stands the test of time.” We have been working tirelessly with the office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the past weeks and today I must tell you that the road leading from the Junction into this football field, has been approved by the government of Liberia and this road will be fixed because even if you have the field and the field is not accessible you don’t have a field.”

Feud under the bridge: Happy Day in Clara Town

District # 10 representative in the House Honorable Regina S. Teah said the day was a happy one for all to witness the dedication of the long-awaited football field. “We want thank God that during this time this field could be constructed, we are happy that the field was constructed during our time.

Said Representative Teah: “Mr. Sirleaf, I want to tell you today that those who have been telling you that this representative does not like development, are people who just want to put enemy ship between you and myself and I believed It will never work.”