A non for profit organization, Youth Network for Positive Change (YOUNETPO) in collaboration with Carter Center Liberia has empowered a women-led community-based organization (CBO) that aims at economically empowering them.
The empowerment program is providing them with tricycle trucks and wheelbarrows to enable them to manage waste and serve as their own CBO/CBE.
The institution put the cost of the materials at 5 thousand United States Dollars although according to Amb. Tiah the provision of those items were not part of the initial plan.
"We were to only provide support to the women by ensuring that they get their article of incorporation, train them but we saw the need to recommend to partners that it was important that we provide a start-up for the women," Tiah said.
The initiative also aims to enhance the voices and participation of women and girls in solid waste management services in Monrovia through increasing awareness and empowering of women to establish a waste management Community-based organization.
The executive director of Youth Network for Positive Change, Amb. Leo E. Tiah, said the program has economically empowered the women's group or community-based organization to establish and register as a waste management institution, thereby giving its legal status to operate.
Tiah made the disclosure on Wednesday, August 31, at the end of the project and presentation of materials held at YOUNETPO's office in Congo Town and emphasized the need for women and girls' involvement with waste management across Liberia. The YOUNETPO worked with market women from Rally Town, West Point and Clara Town and economically empowered them.
"We conducted awareness-raising activities in three target markets in support of female involvement, engagement, and access to information about municipal services provided by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC)," Tiah said.
Tiah said his organization supported the three markets to work as a unit and established a waste management Community-based enterprise. We also coordinated with Monrovia City Corporation to develop a harmonious messaging for the awareness campaign of waste management and information on MCC's activities.
"We provided business management training for the Community-based enterprise and procured materials to help support the startup of this group," he said.
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"According to him, the organization has raised awareness about female access to information in the three targeted markets and encouraged women to access Monrovia City Corporation through its hotline #2022 (free call on Lonestar)
"We have registered and developed an article of incorporation, by laws for the women-led Community-based enterprise and accreditation with MCC is currently ongoing and will be done shortly," Tiah said.
The Director for Urban at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Alvin Bono, said the ministry is elated that women have come together to form their own community-based organization.
"Solid waste is cardinal to what we do in urbanization. Today, we are running a solid waste program with City Alliance and the European Union. We are delighted to be part of this program, especially that the women-led group is being registered and now has legality to operate," Bono said.
Bono pledged the MIA's commitment, particularly the Urban Department, to work with the women-led community-based organization, stating "we have loans running and the new phase will start in June so we anticipate your participation by applying for it to strengthen your program."
"It is rare to see women participating in garbage collection in Liberia because many at times people don't want to associate them with dirt. Seeing women passionate to clean their city is welcoming," he added.
The closing program brought together women from three marketers who have organized themselves into a cooperative to help with the waste management of Liberia.
Also the Liberia Marketing Association of Liberia their their proxy said the initiative of the youth organization was welcoming as it is one of the surest ways to fight waste management in Liberian society.
