By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
Students of Guzeh Elementary, Junior, and Senior High School in Zolowo Township, Zorzor Administrative District, Lofa County, were inspired on Friday after James Papy Kwabo addressed them during their Student Council Government induction ceremony.
Kwabo encouraged the students to believe in themselves and embrace leadership as a pathway to national service.
He reminded the young leaders that leadership begins early and is rooted in service rather than status.“This student leadership is the beginning of national leadership,” he told the gathering, urging students to remain committed, disciplined, and focused on making a positive difference in their school and community.
The founder and former General Manager of the Alternative Youth Radio reflected on his own experience as a student leader in 2008, noting that he never imagined rising to national prominence at the time.
He emphasized that leadership is not defined by age or physical appearance, but by character, responsibility, and selflessness.
“Leadership is about service. It is about thinking of the good of everyone,” he said.
Kwabo, a former mainstream journalist and founder of Alternative Youth Radio in Zorzor, shared stories from his student days at Zorzor Central High School, recalling how he and fellow student leaders raised funds to support a sick classmate and advocated for the installation of a hand pump on campus due to the lack of safe drinking water.
He motivated the newly inducted student leaders to use dialogue and innovation when addressing challenges, stressing that confrontation should not be the first option.
Kwabo’s personal journey resonated strongly with the audience, from studying in palm-thatched classrooms and carrying books in rice bags to overcoming financial hardship and rising to national and international recognition.
He currently serves as a lecturer at the only university in Lofa County and remains actively engaged in mentoring young people.
His achievements include being an award-winning Student President of Zorzor Central High School, a recipient of the 2024 MTN Hero of Change National Award, and a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow under the U.S. Department of State.
In a major show of support for education, Kwabo announced plans to donate a quizzing bell to Guzeh School within two weeks and disclosed that he will provide 30 scholarships beginning next academic year.
He also committed to personally mentoring students and pledged to pay the university tuition of the current Student Council President through graduation at Lofa University, with the student’s family providing accommodation support.
Additionally, Kwabo has urged students to value their peers and relationships, reminding them that today’s classmates could become tomorrow’s national leaders.
