By: P Uriah Suah
suahuriah86@gmail.com
Buutuo, District 5, Nimba county……In an effort to empower locals and boost food self-sufficiency, Mr. William Cole—commonly known as “Zonic”—has donated assorted farming tools valued at $60,000 USD to 72 towns across Districts #4 and #5 in Nimba County.
Speaking during the donation ceremony held over the weekend in Buutuo, District #5, Cole emphasized that the initiative aims to help citizens become self-reliant in food production.
“I don’t understand why we have some of the most fertile swamps in Liberia but fail to maximize their potential,” Cole said. “We are encouraging our people to work hard, but we must also support them in becoming food self-sufficient.”
Mr. Cole, a USA-based Liberian businessman and CEO of Zonic Pie and Zonic Entertainment, stressed that food should not be a problem for Liberians but rather a tool for productivity. He said the donation is his way of giving back to his native district, helping residents feed their families, and support basic needs like school fees.
“I know how it feels to go to bed hungry,” he added, revealing that bags of rice will also be distributed to sustain farmers during their work.
While the donation comes amid rising political activity following the election of Sen. Samuel Gongben Kogar, Cole clarified that the initiative is non-political. Despite rumors of his possible bid for the now-vacant representative seat, he assured the public that the project is purely developmental.
To ensure effective implementation and transparency, Cole has partnered with the Independent Youth of Nimba—a prominent youth-led organization—and Nimba Kwado Inc. As part of the partnership, he donated 10 brand new Bajaj motorbikes to project supervisors for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
The Independent Youth of Nimba will also assist in identifying the types of crops local farmers will cultivate. Speaking at the event, the organization’s Executive Director and Founder, Abraham Toweh, expressed gratitude to Mr. Cole and pledged full coordination of the project.
“Agriculture is one of the key pillars of our organization. We see this as a true empowerment for locals who depend on farming to survive,” Toweh stated.
Also present was Mr. Isaac Dahn, President of Nimba Kwado Inc., who commended Cole for returning from the United States to support his community. Dahn has promised to advocate for the expansion of the project across all nine electoral districts of Nimba County, as well as pushing for repairs of damaged bridges to improve farmers’ access to markets.
Town chiefs, the statutory superintendent, and other local leaders lauded the donation as a “huge gesture,” describing the tools—cutlasses, files, rain boots, raincoats, wheelbarrows, shovels, and bags of rice—as items they have long needed to enhance agricultural productivity.
The donation ceremony brought together 72 town chiefs, women leaders, district agriculture officers, youth, elders, and farmers, all united in their appreciation and commitment to making the initiative a success.
