About Us
Organization Profile
LUA is a registered non-profit NGO in Bong Co., Liberia which seeks the welfare of children through basic education. LUA also provides a safe place for students to meet after school and during holidays. Our friendly, supportive environment provides tutoring services as well as additional education.
LUA collaborates with students and parents as well as local public and private schools, local and international NGOs and other community based organizations involved with child development programs in Liberia.
During the past few years we have had great success as a volunteer organization with our outreach programs providing basic needs material support, tutoring and guidance to local schools and families as COVID-19 encroached upon us. We have acquired additional personnel and funding from abroad including Finland, The USA and The Gambia to expand our services in the educational field.
Matthew Q. Kollie
I am Matthew Q. Kollie, Administrator of Liberia Unity Academy – LUA. My goal is to see LUA maintain its current status as an elementary school.
I am a junior student at Bong County Techincal College –BCTC majoring in Education. I have professional training in teaching as a classroom teacher and have Associate Degree in Education and C- Certificate in education.
I have worked as a classroom teacher, micro enterprise development officer and a trainer in the NGO sector. I was able to join Golfred Gbanyan and Scott Rizzo to establish Advancing and Promoting Quality Childhood Education in Liberia, APQCE, with the aim of supporting less fortunate and vulnerable children. Through our efforts we were able to establish the Liberia Unity Academy, LUA.
Through Mr. Rizzo’s support we have been able to have an elementary school. We are up and running to capacity and are managing a school that provides educational opportunities for 150 students.
Golfred L Gbanyan
I’m Golfred L. Gbanyan, the executive director of LUA. My goal is to see LUA continue as an excellent elementary school in Gbarnga. I have a passion for helping children grasp their full potential in education. I am a father of two so I have personal stake in their future. My background is in soil science and education. I have studied at locally at Cuttington University and have professional training in business marketing and agriculture. I have also worked in insurance. I was able to see the the need to establish Advancing and Promoting Childhood Education in Liberia, APQCE, with Matthew Q. Kollie in 2018 and we incorporated it with Scott Rizzo in 2021. We ran that organization with a volunteer team of 12-14 and now we have a full elementary program functioning with LUA since 2022.
Scott Rizzo
Scott Rizzo is a career educator of over 35 years from the USA and Finland. Having received his higher education in both countries, he holds a BA in Liberal Studies from California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles and current Multiple Subjects Teaching credential from the state of California. He did his masters work in International Relations and Sociology at The International School of Social Sciences at Tampere University in Finland. Scott specialises in elementary education using music, The ANISA model of Education and The Virtues Project.