Howard Payne University students, faculty and staff in Brownwood have sent a shipping container of educational supplies to William V.S. Tubman University in Harper, Liberia, in an effort university leaders say will improve learning spaces for students and faculty there.
The shipment was packed this week and includes desks, chairs, tables, computers and other materials. The effort coincided with a visit to HPU by Tubman University President Dr. Olu Menjay, who spent several days on campus and spoke during Wednesday’s Chapel service.
A shipment built through a year of coordination
Menjay helped HPU leaders select items for the shipment during his visit. The donation followed more than a year of coordination between the two universities, which developed a relationship around shared faith and a commitment to service.
“We are very, very grateful for this container of hope,” Menjay said before the container was loaded. He expressed appreciation to HPU President Dr. Cory Hines, HPU Vice President for External Affairs Dr. Chris Liebrum, university employees and student volunteers who helped prepare the donation.
Menjay said limited resources have made it difficult for Tubman University to provide the facilities and furnishings needed by its academic community. The donated furniture and equipment are intended to give students and faculty greater access to functional educational environments and create more conducive spaces for learning.
Leaders describe the impact on Tubman University
“This will be a gamechanger for us,” Menjay said. “The space that we are going to enjoy now is because of Howard Payne University.” He added that the new facilities would help create “a good culture of learning” at Tubman University.
Hines said the project grew from a small conversation more than a year earlier into a friendship between universities on opposite sides of the world.
“It’s been so great to watch God bring this opportunity together. What started as a small conversation a little over a year ago has grown into a friendship between two universities on different sides of the world. Our prayer is that these items are a blessing to the students and staff at Tubman University and that our friendship continues to grow.”
During Chapel, Menjay spoke with HPU students about his work in higher education, his faith and the importance of relationships in creating opportunities to serve others. He described the partnership as providential and credited the universities’ shared faith with helping bring it together.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without the glue that put us together, which is Jesus Christ.”
Before the loading, Hines said the donation reflects HPU’s responsibility to use its resources to benefit others. The effort also reflects stewardship, one of the university’s core values, by giving existing resources a meaningful continued purpose.
Menjay said the shipment would show the Tubman University community that people around the world care about its students and their future.
“This will be a testimony of hope for our university. And will show our young people, our students, our university that we are connected through worldwide ties.”
Howard Payne University was founded in 1889 and describes itself as a Christ-centered liberal arts university in Brownwood. The university offers more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs across six schools and serves students at three locations.