Summary
- A group of Liberian women is breaking into the male-dominated transport sector by driving electric kekehs in Monrovia, earning incomes and challenging gender stereotypes.
- The vehicles are part of a push toward cleaner transport in a country where thousands of gasoline-powered tricycles contribute to air pollution and carbon emissions, making people sick and adding to climate change.
- Despite growing interest, operators say unreliable electricity, limited charging infrastructure and high costs remain major obstacles to expanding electric mobility.
Teta Sherman was sitting at home, bored, watching television when a friend told her about a company looking for women to drive kehkehs, three-wheeled taxis that carry the majority of Liberians throughout the country's capital every day. Her first reaction was disbelief. Driving a kehkeh - and dealing with the numerous mechanical issues that arise - is thought by most Liberians to be men's work.
But Sherman needed an income. The 38-year-old mother of two had been relying on occasional cake-decorating jobs that barely covered expenses. So she decided to try.
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But these were no ordinary kehkehs. The kehkehs she was to drive were electric. They weren't relying on dirty and hot combustion engine to operate.
Elvis Thomas, is the owner of Emergi Liberia which launched in 2024 as one of the first companies to import and operate electric vehicles. Thomas says the decision to recruit only women was partly a business calculation.
"We conducted a market study and found that women tend to be more responsible when it comes to taking care of vehicles and handling payments," he says. "That's important for any business."
Sherman's journey reflects a broader shift taking place on Monrovia's streets. A small but growing group of women is entering Liberia's male-dominated transport sector through a fleet of electric kehkehs. The vehicles are helping Liberia address two persistent challenges: limited economic opportunities for women and worsening air pollution from thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles.
For the women behind the wheels, the job offers a source of income and independence. For environmental advocates, it offers a glimpse of a cleaner transportation future.
Today, Sherman is one of about 15 women driving for Emergi Liberia. Every vehicle in the fleet is electric. Every driver is a woman.
And in a transport sector overwhelmingly dominated by men, they are quietly proving that women belong behind the wheel.
Sherman completed her training, passed the tests and climbed into her first electric kehkeh in 2024. She says when she entered Monrovia traffic for the first time. It was terrifying."When I started, some of the guys would blow their horns just to scare me," Sherman recalls. "I would get frightened and leave the road. But later I overcame it. Now I'm used to the traffic."
A Different Kind of Transport Company
Emergi Liberia launched in 2024 as one of the first companies to import and operate electric vehicles in Liberia.
Its co-founder, Elvis Thomas, says the business was built around two ideas: reducing pollution and creating economic opportunities for women.
"We are a clean mobility company," Thomas says. "We operate electric kehkehs powered primarily by solar energy, with the national grid as backup. And we work exclusively with women drivers."
The company's first year was largely experimental. Now it is expanding.
Thomas says hiring women was an easy decision. Not only were women more reliable employees, he also saw an opportunity to challenge social norms.
"Women's empowerment is a huge part of social impact in Liberia," Thomas says. "When you empower a woman, you empower a family and, ultimately, a nation."
The idea appears to have struck a chord.
When Emergi advertised for a second group of drivers at the end of 2024, the company hoped to recruit 30 women. Within two weeks, about 60 applied.
Most had learned about the opportunity through word of mouth.
"Women saw other women driving and decided they wanted to do it too," Thomas says.
More Than a Job
The women behind the wheels come from very different backgrounds. Some were market traders. Others sold goods on the streets. Some were unemployed mothers searching for a reliable source of income. What most shared was financial insecurity.
Before joining Emergi, most say they earned little more than L$550 ($US3) a day - if they earned anything at all.
Angel Johnson says she knows what that uncertainty feels like. She used to sell goods on the streets of Monrovia until city authorities confiscated her commodities during an enforcement operation.
"You put money, $300 plus, into the market," she recalled. "At the end of the day, they come and dump all the market together," she says in Liberian English.
The loss devastated her.
A friend later told her about Emergi's training program. She applied, completed six months of training and signed a one-year contract. Today, Johnson earns between L$3,000 and L$4,500 on a good day.
The income pays her daughter's school fees, helps support her mother and allows her to contribute to a daily susu, a savings scheme.
"I love the kehkeh," she says, "and I will continue to love it, because it's giving me money. It's doing well for me and my family."
Sherman tells a similar story. Before becoming a driver, most household expenses fell on her husband. School fees, rent, transportation and food were largely his responsibility.
Now she contributes.
"Since I started riding, I can provide transportation and recess money for the children," she says.
On a good day, Sherman earns about L$5,000. After remitting the company's share of L$1500, she keeps the rest.
"Every day that God sent, we are able to get something," she says. "We are able to be a help to our family."
For many of the drivers, the significance of the work extends beyond money.
Simply occupying a space traditionally reserved for men has become a source of pride.
Driving Against Expectations
In Liberia, women driving commercial vehicles remain rare. The country's roads are dominated by male drivers operating taxis, buses, motorcycles and kehkehs.
The women of Emergi routinely encounter surprise, curiosity and skepticism. Sometimes the reaction is supportive. Other times it is not.
"Sometimes, if you board with aggressive passengers, they will talk to you very aggressively." Sherman says.
She remembers male drivers honking aggressively or making jokes as she navigated traffic. Over time, however, those reactions became easier to ignore. Confidence came with experience. So did respect.
Some drivers complain of harassment by police officers.
Martha F. Fayiah, another Emergi driver, says some officers stop women drivers unnecessarily.
"They know your documents are correct, but they still hold you," she says.
Sherman has had a different experience and says most officers have treated her respectfully.
Road safety is another concern. Sherman worries that many drivers lack adequate training.
"Some of the kehkeh riders, they just ride, because they don't know the use of the signal light and the stopping light," she said.
She believes stronger training requirements would make Liberia's roads safer for everyone.
The visibility of women drivers appears to be encouraging others. Several drivers said women regularly approach them to ask how they joined the program and whether more positions are available.
Why Electric Matters
The vehicles are also changing into another conversation - one about pollution. Experts say Liberia has an estimated 20,000 kehkehs operating across the country. Almost all are powered by gasoline.
Anyone standing along a busy Monrovia street knows the consequences. Exhaust fumes linger in the air. Engines roar through traffic. Smoke hangs overcrowded intersections. A 2024 FrontPage Africa/New Narratives investigation found that air pollution is linked to half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease. World Health Organization data shows pollution levels in Liberia far exceed recommended safety guidelines.
Emergi's electric fleet remains tiny by comparison. Yet environmental advocates say it offers a glimpse of what cleaner transportation could look like.
Anthony Kanteh, acting national coordinator of the West Africa Green Energy Development Organization's Liberia chapter, a regional body focused on promoting renewable energy and sustainable energy development in West Africa, says electric vehicles can play an important role in reducing pollution-related illnesses.
"The toxic air we breathe every day affects our health," Kanteh says. "The more electric vehicles we have, the more we can reduce exposure to pollution."
Air pollution has emerged as a growing public-health concern in Liberia.
For Kanteh, cleaner transport offers both health and economic benefits.
"If people are spending less money on illnesses caused by pollution, they can save more, invest more and improve their quality of life," he says.
The environmental argument resonates with many of the drivers, even if they experience it differently. Their vehicles are quieter. They produce no tailpipe emissions. And unlike conventional kehkehs, they do not leave drivers breathing fumes throughout the day.
The Challenges Remain
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The transition to electric mobility is not without obstacles. Chief among them is electricity itself. Liberia's power supply remains unreliable especially during the dry season, expensive and limited.
Emergi says it relies primarily on solar energy to charge its vehicles, but the company also depends on the national grid. When both systems fail, operations slow.
Johnson says charging disruptions can leave drivers unable to work.
"When there is no current, it's difficult," she says. "If the battery is low and there's no power, you cannot continue."
The problem reflects a broader national challenge. Large parts of Liberia remain unelectrified, particularly outside Monrovia. Expanding electric transportation will require reliable charging infrastructure, something the country is still developing.
A Larger Climate Goal
The emergence of electric vehicles comes as Liberia tries to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and modernize its transportation sector. According to the Ministry of Transport, road transportation accounts for roughly 43 percent of the country's carbon emissions.
Electric vehicles as an important part of the solution. Liberia has committed to reducing emissions under the Paris climate agreement and has established targets for cleaner transportation over the coming decades.
Plans include introducing thousands of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers and expanding the use of electric buses. The government is also working with international partners on proposals to finance cleaner transport systems.
Spencer Taylor Jr., director of climate and environment at the Ministry of Transport, said the rise of women drivers represents one of the less-discussed benefits of the transition.
Small Numbers, Big Symbolism
Emergi plans to expand its fleet and eventually establish charging infrastructure beyond Monrovia. Drivers say they hope the growth continues. Johnson wants to save enough money to continue her education. Fayiah wants to buy land for her daughter. Sherman wants to help provide a better future for her children.
For Sherman, the lesson is simple.
"As a woman, you can do anything," she says. "You can drive a kehkeh. You can drive a truck. If you get the opportunity, do it."
This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The funders had no say in the story's content.
