NEEDORWEIN, Margibi –Nearly 200 women in Needorwein have received micro-empowerment loans to start their small businesses.

The women, organized in small groups, were provided the amount of L$60,000 (US$667) by Florence Harris, a social activist in Margibi.

Prior to receiving the funds, the women participated in a one-day business training session. The training was centered on customer service, keeping business environments clean, and business diversity.

The training was facilitated by the local leadership of the Liberia Marketing Association in addition to experienced entrepreneurs and business and financial managers.

Harris said the initiative was made possible through her collaboration with others in the business sector. According to Harris, the women of Needorwein have complained of not being in business due to the lack of start-up capital. The situation, she said, has caused underutilization of the women’s potential and a market facility constructed in the community by the Liberia Marketing Association.

“It was so pathetic to see a market without marketers because there were no resources to sell in the market,” Harris said.

She expressed hope that the women would be empowered through the micro-grant initiative, especially through the different groups. “Studies have shown that micro-grants have a very high success rate when administered to groups and not individuals,” she said.

According to her, it is easier to hold people accountable through their group leaders than individually.

Harris told The Bush Chicken in an interview on Saturday that the first group of recipients would utilize the amount for three months before paying it back and turning the funds over to another group for the same period.

She said the strategy is intended to allow more people benefit from the program.

The entrepreneurs in Needorwein are the second batch of beneficiaries under the pilot phase of the program. The first group in the R2 community on Robertsfield Highway, she reported, is doing extremely well.

“The overall goal of this program is to provide empowerment for the women so that they can become helpmates to their husbands in providing family needs,” Harris told the Bush Chicken.

Bend Sheriff, the head for the business women in Needorwein expressed gratitude to the partners of Florence Harris for the micro grants.

She said this is the first in the history of the community for women to receive business empowerment.

“We have been suffering here and no one to aid us, until Madam Harris broke the record,” Sheriff explained.

She promised that the women would use the skills acquired to bring success to their businesses.

Harris is the only woman who has declared her intention to contest for the representative seat of Margibi’s first district.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah