Thousands of Liberian women, especially young females are expected to benefit from a vocational skills training and empowerment program launched by the opposition Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE).
The program was launched under the banner: Ambassador Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah Women Vocational Skills Training and Empowerment Program at a ceremony held at the party's headquarters in Paynesville, outside Monrovia on Monday, December 2, with a call for more investment in women empowerment programs to help combat against poverty in Liberia.
Launching the initiative, the wife of the Political Leader of MOVEE Rev. underscored the significance of empowering women in Liberian society.
She observed that Liberian women, especially young girls would become independent and self-productive in the society and the world at large, if they are empowered and supported to acquire life-changing vocational skills.
She noted that when empowered, women would in turn provide basic needs for their respective families in the midst of lack of support from men or their spouses, and extend assistance and empowerment to others.
She maintained that the eradication of poverty can only be guaranteed in Liberia if women are substantially empowered and provided the opportunity to acquire vocational skills.
Rev. Kemayah emphasized that Liberia would also be a vibrant society if steps are taken to support women and girls education, particularly the acquisition of vocational skills training.
"When you empower a woman, you empower a nation; it has a grappling effect-It doesn't stay with that woman; when you empower a woman it goes through generations. When you empower and educate a woman, you eradicate poverty."
She added that many Liberian women are going through difficult times, especially to provide for them and their respective families, causing the "rate of prostitution" to increase in the country.
According to her, some women are constrained to engage in unwholesome practice just to get something from someone to provide for their families.
"The rate of prostitution is high because when you want something from somebody you have to sell your body."
Rev. Kemayah said the empowerment of women would also help curtail or minimize the high level of disadvantage they continue to encounter on a regular basis due to limited education.
She stated that gone are the days where women were marginalized and overlooked due to their status and poor educational background, adding that, "enough is enough."
"You have to be able to learn some things; do something with your hands. The Bible says whatsoever you learned to do with your hands, do it as one to the Lord. So if you are learning how to sew, do it well."
She, however, recounted the roles played by the mother of her husband to educate her children, as well as efforts being applied by Ambassador Kemayah to make women and girls self-productive, including the provision of vocational skills to ex-combatants and women at the end of the Liberian civil war.
She encouraged the would-be beneficiaries to pay keen attention to their studies if they and their families must succeed in the future.
"We have to stand up for our children; we have to be examples and show them the right road. We have to tell them, 'if you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything and their bodies are their dignity. It starts with us."
Rev. Kemayah noted that regardless of age or lack of formal education, those benefiting from the program should bear in mind that "not everybody can go to school and college to get Masters and PhDs, but you can do your tailoring, sew your clothes and braid hair and cosmetology."
She used the occasion to disclose that the program would be extended to other parts of the country in the future, with the inclusion of additional skills training including food preservation, decoration, soap making, amongst others.
Giving an overview of the project earlier, the Chairperson of the National Women League of MOVEE Angeline Gborie pointed out that regardless of political affiliation, the program remains open to women and young girls free of any charge.
She encouraged women and girls in various communities in Monrovia and other adjacent to take advantage of the initiative.
According to her, the program was launched in fulfillment of MOVEE Political Leader/Standard Bearer Ambassador Kemayah's selfless, unbending commitment and humanitarian gesture to women empowerment.
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"If you have a leader who is concerned about life or the betterment of people and seeing the lives of his people improved this is what you see. To me, this is not strange because in MOVEE, we have a leader who cares so much about his people and I also want to say that, he is a feminist and he has so much passion in empowering women and youth of this country."
Madam Gborie maintained that the program was a gesture from Ambassador Kemayah and his family to the empowerment of women and young girls in the party and Liberia at large on a wider scale.
According to her, the acquisition of skills by women and girls would go down a long way, instead of them waiting to receive meager handouts from others to temporarily sustain themselves.
"From the initial start, we are starting with tailoring and cosmetology, including hairdressing, face make-up, pedicure and manicure and Ambassador Kemayah and his wife says that the training is absolutely free."
The launch of the program climaxed with the unveiling of several brand new sewing machines, including needed materials for both the tailoring and cosmetology classes.
