Snapshot Liberia: “I am capable of making an informed decision...”
“Before the training, I was unable to manage money. I spent carelessly and did not even recognize that there is a future.”
“I didn’t know how to even write my name and to settle disputes. I could not use a cell phone because I didn’t know numbers. I did not know what is called profit as I was only doing business from hand to mouth and was not even saving some money for the future.”
“I am happy that I was a part of the training as it brought about so much change in my life as a person and a family member. I have acquired skills in managing a business after the training. I am able to also settle disputes. I can use my cell phones, and I am able to save money because I am a part of one of our community Savings and Loan Associations. I am capable of making an informed decision in the absence of my husband that will make him proud of me as his wife.”
Helena King is from Fish Town, a city in Liberia’s River Gee County. She is one of thousands of Liberian women who have made positive changes in their lives through the United Nations joint programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (RWEE). Working together with government and civil society in Liberia, RWEE aims at reaching and empowering women and girls, particularly those most vulnerable and disadvantaged, through a full suite of comprehensive support and training that addresses a range of needs, from agricultural inputs to innovative technologies, and from classes in literacy and numeracy to life skills for leadership, business development and financial management / planning. With respect to finance in particular, RWEE facilitates and supports Savings and Loan Associations (SLAs) for women in both urban and rural areas across the country. SLAs enable women to save money and access loans, thereby increasing their economic and financial independence.