The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), through the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), on Wednesday October 14 in a joint field visit with the World Bank Task Team to Bomi County to review progress under the REALISE and LWEP project and to hear community experiences and identify practical follow-up actions.
The discussions will provide an opportunity to hear how project activities are supporting livelihoods and community efforts to prevent violence against women and girls, and to understand challenges requiring attention.
During the LWEP visit in Gbojay, the LWEP Project Management Unit hosted engagements with SASA, strategists and participants from Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and individual enterprises.
Prior to Gbojay visit, the delegates visited Queenie-1 Town, Suehn Mecca District, where REALISE supported 33 participants: 28 members of a livelihood agriculture group and five Community Oversight Committee members.
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The farming group has planted 39 acres of rice, with harvesting ongoing. A community-selected rice mill has been installed and is operational, providing local rice processing capacity.
REALISE support in Queenie-1 has also included US$1,680 for tools and planting materials, a US$1,800 Community Development Support grant for the rice mill, mobile phones with mobile money SIM cards, and training in life skills and climate-smart agriculture.
Rob Chase, Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs at the World Bank, said he was delighted about the project's impact, especially on the empowerment of women and on fostering conversations around resolving community conflicts.
For women to be empowered, people have to talk about it openly. I am impressed with the discussions I've heard so far. Women must know their rights in order to be empowered," Mr. Chase said.
Mr. Chase said he was excited that women would have the opportunity to save together, pay interest back, and try new businesses together to help empower themselves, which is important for the community.
Mr. Chase added that given the impact of the project, he hopes it can be replicated across West Africa and beyond.
The Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Julius Sele, expressed gratitude to the World Bank, the French Development Agency, and all implementing partners for the great work--particularly the empowerment of women.
"The more successful you are, the more empowered you become. We wish this kind of assistance had come long ago, but we want you to utilize the project and also empower other women," he said.
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Oretha Cooper, a resident of Walekima and the secretary-general of the Village Savings and Loan Association, expressed gratitude to the World Bank for the empowerment through the LWEP project.
The money is impacting us greatly. We are now able to give loans to our members for them to repay, while supporting our homes. We are involved in business and gardening, which are helping us," Cooper said.
Madam Cooper called on the World Bank and its implementing partners to help other communities, indicating that some communities have not benefited from the project.
Esther Anthony reemphasized the need to empower more women as the project continues to impact beneficiary communities.
She said the project continues to positively impact women in the community but stressed the need to include many who are yet to benefit from the initiative.
Representatives of MGCSP, the REALISE Project Management Team, the LWEP Project Management Unit, AFD and Sida are expected to participate alongside the World Bank Task Team. The visit will involve informal discussions and observation of project activities, followed by a joint debrief to identify follow-up actions.
Meanwhile, the event was marked by a dramatic performance illustrating how to resolve community conflicts, particularly those arising between partners.
