Snapshot Liberia: “Saving my money for the future.”
“I could not write my name. I did not understand how to do my business. I only did the business and was not saving any money.”
“I also could not calculate because I did not know figures. Even when I borrowed money, it was a problem for me to pay back.
“[But now,] as a result of the training, I am able to write my name and identify letters and figures very well. I am able to calculate well. I am a part of a Savings and Loan Association, and I am taking loans regularly and also saving my money for the future.”
Margaret Bedell is from Pleebo, a city in southeastern Liberia. 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.