IPNEWS: Stepping in the shoes of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., as new Board Chair of the JNB Foundation is a herculean task; however, Pastor David Saa Fatoma Jr. sees it as a perfect and an honorable opportunity afforded him to showcase his wealth of leadership ability by keeping the President’s legacy alive.
It can be recalled that President Boakai recently resigned his position as Chairman of the Joseph N. Boakai Foundation. In a letter addressed to his fellow board members, he cited his responsibilities as President of Liberia and the need to focus on national and international affairs as the reason for his resignation.
Upon his resignation, the Liberian leader appointed Pastor Fatorma as the new Board Chairman of the organization.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, May 2, 2024, Pastor Fatorma vowed that his leadership will work very assiduously to ensure that the Foundation delivers on all of its different pillars; namely, education, health, youth empowerment, women empowerment, environment, hygiene, and disaster management among others.
Though it’s an expensive venture to run a charitable organization, Pastor Fatorma is confident that the Foundation under his watch will absorb all avenues to raise the necessary funding that will support the different activities under the different pillars and thematic areas.
“We will build on those things that have already started to achieve the goals of the organization because we want to make sure that the legacy of the President lives on. The President is concerned about his legacy, and we have to make sure that it is well taken care of by our leadership,” the renowned clergyman told the media.
“It’s an honor in the first place to step in the footsteps of the President. There is nothing honorable than that. It has to do with his legacy, and we have to keep his legacy. The Chairman emeritus has done a lot that many politicians have not done, though most of these things have not been revealed to the public. As a new leadership, we will engage the media so that whatsoever is done is known by the public.”
In the areas of social service, Pastor Fatorma explained that there is a component that deals with the rehabilitation of disadvantaged youth, otherwise known as “Zogos.”
Board Chair Fatorma also promised to make the philanthropic services of the Foundation visible across all the 15 political subdivisions of the country by working through counties’ coordinators who will be clothed with the responsibilities to steer the affairs of the organization in those counties.
“The JNB Foundation has already been making impacts in the rural areas; River Cess, Grand Bassa and others. The Foundation has been doing well in the counties, but we look forward to expanding that, because this is a national thing. We are going to have counties coordinators that will lead our activities across the country. The Counties’ Coordinators will make every county to feel the impact of the JNB Foundation.”
“We will increase students’ number on different universities’ scholarships, build flush latrine, graduate, and construct surmountable pumps with solar energy to pump the water. As I stated, though funding will be a challenge, the management is up to the task to deliver. This is the President’s Foundation, and we will do all humanly possible to make progress. And we want the public to see this as a non-political institution – the public must see this as an NGO.”
