By Emmanuel Koffa
MONROVIA, Liberia — The Ministry of Youth and Sports has concluded a nationwide capacity-building exercise for facilitators from Liberia’s 15 counties as preparations intensify for the rollout of its Small-Scale Grant Program.
The training brought together county-level facilitators to strengthen their understanding of financial management and the effective implementation of the grant initiative at the community level.
Among those participating was Waka A. Chie, Grand Kru County Facilitator, who said the exercise provided participants with practical knowledge necessary to guide prospective beneficiaries.
The training covered Financial Literacy and Record Keeping, Business Planning, Savings, Investment and Risk Management, and Grant Investment Planning.
Chie said the sessions were designed to provide facilitators with the skills needed to help beneficiaries properly manage grant resources and develop sustainable economic activities.
He stressed that financial literacy and proper record keeping would be important components in ensuring that grant beneficiaries understand how to manage their businesses and account for their investments.
The Grand Kru facilitator also said the knowledge gained would be useful beyond the implementation of the grant program, particularly in his work as a lecturer within the Business Department of Grand Kru Technical College (GKTC).
Chie credited the administration of GKTC for supporting his participation in the national training, saying the institution’s support provided him the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge that could be transferred to students and communities in Grand Kru.
He said the training has strengthened his preparedness to work with young people and prospective beneficiaries as the program moves toward implementation in the counties.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports’ initiative is expected to involve county-level facilitators in providing guidance and practical support to beneficiaries, particularly in areas related to business planning, financial management, savings, and investment.
For Chie, the effectiveness of the program will depend not only on providing financial support but also on ensuring that beneficiaries understand how to use the resources responsibly.
He said he looks forward to applying the lessons from the training to support entrepreneurship and financial literacy efforts in Grand Kru County as the Small-Scale Grant Program gets underway.