The head of Women Beyond Borders, Sangai Dunbar, has called on President Boakai to assist in constructing a 50-store warehouse in Omega Market. This move will enable the women to relocate from their current location in Red Light, where they face exorbitant rent and security challenges.
Dunbar explained that her group, comprising over 4,000 women, imports various foodstuffs from neighboring countries like Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. They currently operate from rented stores in Red Light, paying substantial sums to their landlord.
"We are paying over $2,000 as yearly rent for 36 stores," Dunbar said. Additionally, their stores are sometimes locked when they do not fulfill their yearly rent to the landlord.
"One of the smallest stores costs $4,800 per year, while larger ones can reach $10,000. We often face pressure from the landlord to pay rent promptly, even when business is slow."
Dunbar added that for bigger stores they paid U$10,000 and U$9,000. To raise the rent, she says they divided themselves into groups--70 persons in one store, some store 40 persons, and some store 30 persons. So once a member brings their goods, they charge per bag--250 Liberian Dollars.
"When you bring 1,000 bags or 50 bags, sometimes it can still be for 2 months, 2 months, 3 months. When your goods finish, you pay," she added.
"So when everything finishes, you pay, and we go pay the store owner. But when the rent is incomplete, they take us to court. If you are supposed to pay 10,000 and you pay 5,000, they will lock the store for the balance."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
According to her, former president George Weah gave them 1.5 acres of land in Omega Market, where they plan to construct the 50-store warehouse. However, they are facing financial constraints in completing the project.
"We have put up the foundation, but we need more funds to continue," Dunbar said. "We are collecting $500 from each member to contribute towards the construction."
Edith Jomah, another member of Women Beyond Borders, echoed Dunbar's concerns about the high cost of operating from rented spaces.
"The store rent is a significant burden," Jomah said. "It's difficult to make a profit when such a large portion of our income goes towards rent. We are appealing to the government to assist us in completing this project."
The women believe that relocating to Omega Market and having their warehouse will significantly improve their business operations and enhance their livelihoods. They are hopeful that President Boakai will consider their request and provide the necessary support for this crucial project.
They are pleading to president Boakai to assist them in completing the building so they can move to leave the congested Redlight market. They complained that they don't have enough space for their trucks to offload their goods.
