Authorities of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) have donated assorted refrigeration and air condition training equipment worth US$ 12,000 to Humanity First Ahmadiyya Vocation College in Sinkor.
The pieces of equipment intended to boost the teaching of air condition and refrigeration technicians at the college were donated Thursday, July 2, 2020 by Randall M. Dobayou, the agency’s acting executive director at a brief ceremony held at the EPA’s annex in Sinkor.
The tools were acquired by the Ozone Unit at the EPA through a partnership with GIZ under the Hydrocholorocabon Phase out Management Plan (HPMP).
The pieces of donated equipment included Drill Machine, 4-ways digital manifold, Tube expander set, Dual Voltage Vacuum Pump, Recovery Unit and Vacuum and Charging kit.
Others equipment provided included Digital clamp-on multimeter, Electronic dual probe thermometer, Acetylene and oxygen pressure regulator kit, Flaring tool with pinch-off plier, Set of adjustable wrenches, Refrigeration ratchet and socket set, Pliers and Allen key set and Combustible Gas Detector.
Sete F. Marshall, head of the Ozone Unit said that the donation isn’t the first and disclosed that the EPA recently donated pieces of modern training equipment to the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) to be used by students enrolled there.
Mr. Marshall said the donation to Humanity First Ahmadiyya Vocation College is in fulfillment of EPA’s technical obligation to teaching institutions involved in the training of refrigeration and air condition technicians in Liberia.
Turning the equipment over to the administration of the college, EPA Acting Executive Director Dobayou asked the school to use the materials effectively for the intended purpose and to the benefits of students at the school.
He lauded staff at the Ozone Unit and explained that empowering teaching institutions is one of EPA’s roles as a regulatory agency.
The refrigeration industry, Mr. Dobayou noted plays a very positive role in helping us maintain our earth ozone layer because most of freezers, ice boxes and air conditions contained refrigerants that are very toxic.
They also contained Chlorine, Fluorine and Carbon (CFC).
The EPA acting boss disclosed that since Liberia lacks a stronger law on the movement of these toxic trades, the country is extremely vulnerable to ozone depleting substances.
“When one of these CFC is released, it has the absolute tendency and ability to destroy one hundred thousand earth ozone layers. When that happened you know what it means for our earth. So, as an agency with the fundamental scientific responsibility to ensure that we protect our environment, we think in protecting our environment we need to collaborate. We need to train institutions. We need to governed intellectual and institutional resources that can only be done when we create an environment as such, Mr. Dobayou, also a refrigeration specialist said.
Accepting the tools, Humanity First Ahmadiyya Vocation College Coordinator, Imam Abdullah G. Mansaray applauded the EPA for empowering the institution with the pieces of equipment, which would have cost the school a lot of money to purchase.
He promised that the college will make maximize use of the equipment and pleaded with the EPA to assist with the provision of scholarships for students enrolled at the institution’s air condition and refrigeration section.
Imam Mansaray also asked the EPA to help the college develops its curriculum so that it can meet international standard.