The Government of Liberia and Development partners, AFD, Sweden and World Bank on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, signed additional partnership financing agreements in the amount of US 9.5 Million to support the REAL project.
The financing agreement seeks to increase access to income-earning, opportunities for the vulnerable in the informer sectors in response to crisis, expand income and lively hood support to poor and food insecure households and improve efficiency in managing social protection programs in Liberia.
The project includes activities such as provision of cash for work to enhance food production, community infrastructure as well as support to local cooperatives to facilitate communities' access to markets.
Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah Jr. who spoke on behalf of the Government of Liberia thanked the French government for continuous support to Liberia since President Weah paid a visit to France in 2018.
According to Minister Tweah, France's bilateral support to Liberia is immensely growing for the past five-plus years now. He noted that Since president Weah visited France in 2018, there has been lot of massive development in the bilateral space in terms of youth development.
He disclosed government's commitment to its cooperation and collaborations in the development space of France, Sweden, African Development Bank, and the World Bank for strong partnerships towards growth and development across the country.
The government of Sweden has been a critical partner over the last five years. Sweden has supported a broad area of governance and they are well noted for the feudal road program.
" I have asked the Ministry of public work to create a full metric of feudal road projects that have been undertaken in the last five years in different counties to present the impact of different parts of the country particularly places like Nimba and Bong Counties" he explains.
However, we have to make necessary investments in agriculture by redesigning different projects to reach widely segment of the population, if we are to make serious impact on reducing poverty.
Minister Tweah noted that real path to reducing poverty in the country is by providing scale for young people in sustainable communities who were affected by COVID 19 are able to earn their livelihood.
" I am happy that this signing will address this process and we welcome the restructure of REALISE so the public can see that road connectivity to improve agriculture movement and other programs is performing well " he added.
For his part, the French Ambassador to Liberia, Hon. Michal Roux said, it is a great privilege to represent AFD) to support the economic empowerment of people living vulnerability in rural areas.
According to him, this will provide cash-forward employment for vulnerable youths so that they can engage in communal farming, small-scale community businesses, and smooth community access to the market.
However, REALISE project, will be co-financed by the World Bank, Sweden, and France and implemented by the government of Liberia and course of to support the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development ( PAPD).
Today signing celebrates the renewed commitment of France to the youths of Liberia that will support and delivered hand in hand with the World Bank and Sweden. AFD's complementary funding will focus on the development of community livelihoods in the rural space, primarily in Bong, Bomi, Lofa and Gbarpolu counties.
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This will also include the provision of cash for work to enhance food production, support to community development plans as well as support to local cooperatives to facilitate market linkages. The REALISE project is a US$42 million project supported by the World Bank, France and Sweden and implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment.
The ceremony was witnessed by Hon. Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. Minister D. Zeogar Wilson, French and AFD representatives H.E. the Ambassador of France Mr. Michaël ROUX, AFD Country Director Mr. Christophe COTTET, the Embassy of Sweden represented by H.E the Ambassador Urban Sjöström and by the World Bank Acting Country Manager Mr. Mack Capehart Mulbah.
