Gbarnga, Bong County – The business manager of Passion Business in Gbarnga, Bong County, businesswoman Dabah Varpilah, says going into the private sector is far better than taking a public job. Mrs. Varpilah resigned her job in 2016 as Deputy Director General of LISGIS to go full time into her business.
Report by Selma Lomax, [email protected]
“Pay checks can do so little,” she said. “Even before I resigned from government, I knew that going into the private sector was the way out.”
Mrs. Varpilah further said when she served in government she paid US$400 to US$500 monthly on income tax and only had to pay a driver and a house nurse.
As the owner of Passion Business, she said she pays US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month and has employed over 50 inhabitants in the county.
“How many people did I have to employ when I was in government?” Just a few people including my house nurse and my driver but now I am an employer of over 50 persons including those from the two hotels – Passion One and Two, Passion Farm and the Foundation for Children’s Recreation Center (FORCE) School,” she said.
“I feel very good contributing to the development of my country in this manner than waiting for pay checks every month,” she added.
Passion Business is one of the highest employment entities in Bong County; many of whom in the employ of the center are single mothers, who can’t afford their daily bread. “If Passion had not created jobs for some of the people we have in our employ, they would have been part of the many unemployed, who are congesting the city,” she said.
Mrs. Varpilah said the business is not only for profit-making, but also intended to help the needy; adding: “We reach out to people who are in need, too.”
Passion Business has grown from just a guest house to hotels, Cash Center, which has mobile money transactions for Orange and Lonestar networks’ users and MoneyGram.
The business conglomerate has also introduced the usage of high-grade polish wood products from Firestone and Passion Farm.
Opening of Passion Farm
The management of Passion Business has also introduced the Passion Business Farm, which will be locally-producing eggs on the Liberia.
Mrs. Varpilah disclosed that they began the farm with 5,000 layers, which were nurtured by the Obasanjo Farm in Grand Cape Mount County.
According to her, in the next two weeks, Passion Farm will be producing chicken eggs in Gbarnga City.
According to the Passion Business Manager, the innovation to produce chicken eggs locally, had been a dream of the CEO of the business, S. Tornolah Varpilah, a former minister of Transport and Youth and Sports.
“We ventured in the provision of chicken eggs in Gbarnga but didn’t materialize because of low capital; so it is out of that dream we decided to revisit our dream,” she said.
Mrs. Varpilah said she and her husband were touched when the government, few years ago, reported that Liberia spent more than US$20,000 on poultry parts every month.
“Ivory Coast, Ghana and other West African countries that produce their own poultry products, including eggs, have become self-sufficient. My husband and I thought that was the best way to go from just being owners of hotels in Gbarnga,” she said. “In the next two weeks, you will see ‘Passion Eggs’ on the market.”
Mrs. Varpilah further said from the 5,000 layers, they expect to produce 4,000 to 5,000 eggs a day, something she said cannot only feed the people of Bong County but other counties.
“The eggs,” Mrs. Varpilah said, “will be sold with the same price similar to how eggs on the Liberian market are being sold. Our eggs will be healthier because it is locally grown and we will not add a dime on the price.”
She called on Bong residents to embrace Passion Farm.
Free Learning for Children
Passion Business last year launched the ‘From Street-to-School’ program in Gbarnga through the ‘Children Learning Institute.’ The intent of the school, which is free of charge, is to take children from the streets and impact their lives. It is also intended, according to Mrs. Varpilah, keep children busy with better things after school hours.
Currently, there are 3,000 young children attending the institution. The institution helps young children to learn how to perfect some musical instruments, including keyboard and drum. Mrs. Varpilah said proceeds generated from Passion Business helps to pay over 10 employees of the institution, who are teaching the children. “Remember, when you buy from Passion Business, whether you visit the hotels or buy from Passion woodshop, you are helping to improve the lives of these children because what we raise from our business helps the keep these children busy after school,” she said.