Pictured are the nine student winners of the first annual Noah V Kucij Memorial Essay Contest at the Kingdom Embassy School in Bernard Farm, Liberia. At the school’s year end assembly the three winners in each of three grade groups received their modest cash awards in front of staffers, family, and community members.
First Annual Essay Competition at Kingdom Embassy School, Bernard Farm, Liberia
The modern nation of Liberia was founded in the 1820s by several hundred Africans who had been enslaved in America. They were sponsored by the American Colonization Society, which had members including clergy, abolitionists, and politicians from northern states.
Upon their arrival in what we now know as Liberia, they dealt with disease, hunger, and the hostility of the coastal tribes whose lands they were settling on. Eventually, the ex-slaves made agreements with or were able to coerce tribal leaders and find stability, which allowed them to realize their goal of repatriating the continent from which either they or their ancestors had been kidnapped, sold, and enslaved. Since the ex-slaves represented many tribes from all over the West African coast, it was best for them to establish English as the official language of their new nation. Keep in mind that even Liberia, only about the size of Ohio, had 27 tribes and many sub-dialects!!!
Understanding this little bit of Liberian history will help you see the value of encouraging students to work hard to improve their English language writing and oral skills.
As Peace Corps teachers in rural Liberia in the early 1970s, my wife and I saw and heard firsthand the challenges most students had in communicating in English effectively.
Excellent English skills were essential for those who aspired to a life beyond their hometowns where subsistence farming was their best option. One of the biggest challenges is that spoken “Liberian English” is similar to the accents and cadences you often hear from Carribean-born persons. The result is that spelling even the simplest words is often
phonetically reflective of spoken Liberian English but not as Noah Webster would approve. One final note about Liberian English is that many phrases and vocabulary usages will baffle an uninitiated American or British listener. For example, instead of saying, “John, may I walk with you to school ?” my student might say: “Teacha John, I must carry you to skoo?”
And also, instead of “the car broke down,” you could hear, “Oh, da ting spoiled just now.”.
Creation of the Noah V. Kucij Memorial Essay Contest
Our purpose in sponsoring the first annual Noah V. Kucij Essay Contest was twofold. We wanted to encourage writing beyond the confines of the Kingdom Embassy classrooms and we wished to honor our son, Noah, who died suddenly at 43 years old in April of 2023. Noah was a beloved professor of English and a published poet who taught at Hudson Valley Community College. He loved the written word.
We succeeded! Students submitted essays from a choice of two title subjects:
- Why Education Is Important To Me
- What I Love About My Community
Cash prizes, which were modest by American standards but very inviting to the student population, helped draw dozens of the 150+ Kingdom Embassy students to submit their work. Awards were presented at the school’s semester-end closing assembly held in late May.
Staff and students are eager for next year’s essay contest! We are pleased to add this activity to the many other initiatives we support, including scholarships, a microloan program, computer instruction, a part-time school nurse, and a twice-a-week free nutritious lunch program for pre-schoolers and first graders.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support of these Liberian initiatives and the efforts in Sierra Leone and Ghana. Your contributions have made a significant difference in the lives of many, and we are truly thankful for your continued support. Thank you.
~ Written by John Kucij
John & Lyn Kucij served as high school teachers in Voinjama, Liberia, from January 1971 until June 1973. They have been African Mission Committee volunteers at WPC since 2012.
Save the Date: African Family Night – Saturday, September 21
Please join us! Donations are gratefully accepted.
Your generous support is needed now and throughout the year. Whether we are getting ready for an African Family Night or working with our partners throughout the year, contributions are always most gratefully accepted online at any time (wpcalbany.org/give) or by sending your check to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut St., Albany, NY 12210 (“African Mission” on the memo line).
Stay tuned! We regularly post updates on the blog page of our website. Please help us keep you up-to-date by making sure we have your most current and preferred email address by notifying the Church Office at office@wpcalbany.org or calling 518-436-8544.
Join us in transforming the lives of children in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
