MONROVIA – President George Weah has launched the Recovery of Economic Activity for Liberian Informal Sector Employment Project (REALISE) which is intended to empower the ordinary people of Liberia.
The REALISE Project will promote economic activities for a total of about 19,000 Liberians in the Greater Monrovia area.
The launch was held on Friday, January 14 at the Monrovia City Hall.
Speaking at the launch of the project, President Weah emphasized that a major focus of the developmental agenda of his administration is economic empowerment.
“Today, I am here to officially launch this project. The launch of the REALISE Project should send a strong signal of my Administration’s determination to empower our citizens. We shall remain unrelenting in our resolve and determination to lift this country and its people from poverty,” Pres. Weah said.
He said poverty reduction and people empowerment are essential to maintaining stability and sustainable peace following years of conflict.
“That is why, since the beginning of my tenure some four years ago, my Government has embarked upon numerous important initiatives which are intended to empower our people, while at the same time tackling other developmental challenges across the country,” Pres. Weah said.
According to President Weah, under Component one of the Project, about 4000 vulnerable Liberians in the informal sector will receive support to either start a new business or improve existing ones.
Additionally, Component Two of the Project will empower about 15,000 Liberians to engage in labor-intensive community-based public works, while improving the environment for the poor and vulnerable in urban areas.
“I am further informed that REALISE projects will be small-scale, quickly executable, labor-intensive, suited to low-skill individuals, and will also be sustainable in terms of use, maintenance, and environmental concerns,” Pres. Weah noted.
President Weah disclosed that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment, who are jointly working together to implement this Project, have indicated that the French Government, through the Agency for French Development (AFD), has committed to support the REALISE Project with a total contribution of approximately Nine Million (€9,000,000) Euros, and that a technical team has already been sent to Liberia by AFD to conduct a feasibility study for the Project.
He expressed his gratitude to the French Government and the World Bank for making the Project possible but at the same time called on other development partners to contribute to the REALISE Project in order to expand it beyond Monrovia.