By Emmanuel Mafelah
Gbarnga, Liberia-Beneficiaries of the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP) in Foequelleh, Panta district, Bong County are praising the World Bank through the governments of Liberia and Sweden for the recent provision of US$3.5 million intended to help poverty among youths.
Recently, the World Bank gave to the Liberian government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports US$3.5 million grant.
The project development objective is to improve access to income generation, opportunities for targeted youth and strengthen the government’s capacity to implement its cash transfer program.
The five year project comprises four major components which include Pre-employment social support and Household enterprises for urban youth, the Productive Public Works and life skills support, the Capacity and System building for Cash Transfer and the Project implementation and coordination.
The project is being implemented by the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE).
Our reporter who recently toured Panta District said the young people were in joyous mod bestowing praises on the government of President George Manneh Weah and partners for the initiative.
The beneficiaries many of whom are females and students said since they joined the project, it has greatly imparted their lives and their communities.
They further said there is a need for the government of Liberia and partners to extend the project in other parts of the country in order to help more people.
According to them the recent US$3.5million grant signed for by the government of Liberia should further increase the numbers of young people across the country who are willing to go back to the soil in order to grow more food both for consumptions and the markets.
“This project has help me to build my house from the little amount there a I received and is also sending my children to the best of school here so I just want to be grateful to all those that are helping us and even to continue with other communities in Liberia,” Josiah Mulbah adds.
Josiah Mulbah, the Chairman of one of the groups in the area (Help yourself) said from 2017 to present his live has totally change from zero to hero maintaining that President Weah government in proceeding rightly.
He said with the zeal the Liberian leader has in moving the country forward ranging from roads, education, health, the creation opportunities for young people across the country it speech volume that Liberia will get better shortly.