MONROVIA – It was a day of joy and happiness on Tuesday this week when the Executive Director of BRAC International, Shamaran Abed, as part of his visit to Liberia, led a field trip to Kakata, Margibi County to meet with some of the beneficiaries of BRAC programs in Liberia.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
On the trip included Rudo Kayombo Regional Director, BRAC Africa, Bridget Dougherty, Managing Director of BRAC and Madam Rosy Choudhury, BRAC Liberia Country Director, among others.
In Kakata, the delegation met with several groups of beneficiaries including the 2020 Bolola Road Women’s Group. These women, about 35, are beneficiaries of BRAC Microfinance program. The delegation joined them in attending their regular meeting. They all sat on the tarpaulin they usually spread outdoor to conduct their meeting.
The women thanked BRAC for the program and explained to the delegation how they are being impacted.
“I join this group since 2009. I started receiving L$15000 loan, but now I am getting L$125,000”, said Ma Watta Dorley, the president of the group. Dorley, a founding member of the group was among the first recipient of loan from the BRAC microfinance program back in 2009. She started with just L$15,000, now she says she is eligible for L$125,000. With that money, she sys she has expanded her lappa business and is supporting her family.
Madam Ella Johnson, another founding member also said she is now self-dependent and is taking care of her family. She sells palm oil.
The women shared their success stories with the delegation, and in separate remarks, pleaded with BRAC to reduce the interest placed on the loan to reduce the pressure they go through to pay back and to also encourage other women to join.
The delegation also travelled to Vahnyeamah and met with beneficiaries of its Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA) and Poultry and livestock programs, among other. They thanked BRAC for the programs.
The day’s activities culminated with dinner attended by BRAC’s beneficiaries and partners including officials of government, members of the diplomatic corps and non-governmental organizations. At the event, Mr. Shamaran Abed expressed the organization’s commitment to continue its operation in Liberia.
“We’ve been here in Liberia since 2008. Today we support almost 80,000 women at the bottom of the pyramid through our microfinance entity, and within the next one year we want to make sure that number is seated at 100,000 women. And by 100,000 women, we also know that’s a 100,000 household or 100,000 families… We are here to stay, we are here to grow an impact and we would like to welcome all of you to do that.” – Mr. Shamaran Abed – Executive Director of BRAC
On the NGO side, Mr. Abed, son of BRAC founder, the late Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, announced that BRAC is scaling a large number of programs, to support Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) across Africa.
He said Liberia is one of the very important countries in that program. He said: “Last year, we had 9,000 AGYW in the program. This year, we’re going to really scale that to 40,000 AGYW. In the next five years – the duration of this program, we are going to impact the life of almost 200,000 AGYW. We feel that we are just getting started and I met many young women and girls today, none of them are going to school. We can see that we can think of other programs, but I will end by saying to our many partners and potential partners in this room, please considered BRAC as a committed partner in Liberia. We are here to stay, we are here to grow an impact and we would like to welcome all of you to do that.”
A highlight of the night came when one of the beneficiaries, Mary Kollie took the podium to extend her thanks and appreciation to BRAC for the support to her and her colleagues. Mary is currently a student of Domestic Science at the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata. She said, through BRAC sponsorship, they are now learning new skills that could change their lives positively.
“Some things I didn’t know, BRAC made me to know – The Tree of life, I didn’t know about child spacing, but now I know. I believe BRAC is trying to take poverty out of Liberia,” she said.
Earlier, BRAC Country Director, Madam Rosy Choudhury said expressed the organization’s commitment to rewrite the success story that BRAC has had in Bangladesh and other African countries here in Liberia. She said BRAC has been working in Liberia since 2008 and has peen pioneering climate smart agricultural techniques in agriculture and food security, youth and women empowerment with globally successful flagship programs, and access to improved and better renewable energy reaching the people at the bottom of the pyramid. “Our Microfinance reaches more than 80,000 clients currently and our other development programs are reaching more than 50,000 direct participants annually in all the 15 counties of Liberia. In the next three years, she noted that the organization aspires to support at least 400,000 people in Liberia with our programs.
Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh thanked BRAC for the immense support it is rendering to Liberians, especially women and girls. She said the program and support to women reminded her of her humble upbringing, and called on the women beneficiaries to use the opportunity given to them by BRAC to improve their lives and that of their families. She promised to be a mentor of the beneficiaries and a friend of BRAC.
“I have learned to do that and stuck to it and here I am. For me, I have not fully arrived yet because I still have to encourage people who are in whatever program BRAC has offer to you that is helping you, helping your family and your community because once you have financial independence, you are okay but if you have to depend on another person for the food you eat and the water you drink, you are not an independent person to earn a respect, so stick to it and help yourself at all levels – whether socially, economically of whatever profession you are in.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State, Sylvester M. Grigsby hailed BRAC for its work in Liberia. “I had the opportunity to work with the Executive Mansion when BRAC started to work in Liberia. There can be no better testimony than mine because I have been following the work that you do and the kind of impact that your work is having on the young people especially for the females. So, I want to congratulate you.”