BLUNTUO, Nimba – The Danish Refuge Council has provided several widows, single mothers, and the elderly in rural Nimba with financial support and skills training through its livelihood program.

The single teenage mothers are receiving cash transfers to allow them to pay for childcare while they continue their schooling. For the widows and the elderly, the organization is providing training on new skills in addition to making it easier for them to get their goods to market.

A town whose residents are especially benefitting from the livelihood program is Bluntuo, located some 5 – 10 kilometer away from Buutuo, from where Liberia’s civil war was launched.

Nathan Manlee, the community-based protection and cross-border monitoring officer for DRC assigned in Bluntuo, said the organization has been working in the town since 2012.

“Our town or community was selected by DRC to work with because they saw that there were lots of widows here,” he said. “Those widows are wives of former soldiers that were killed in battle during the civil war in Liberia.”

Before DRC came into their community, Manlee said widows were highly dependent on farming, even if it was not their first choice. He said those who have been empowered with small businesses no longer depend on farming for sustainability.

“You only find few of these widows still making farms as they do their business,” he said. “But lots of them now depend on the business DRC gave them.”

According to Manlee, many beneficiaries are interested in trading in commodities like rice, agro-oil, sugar, and flower.

As an additional benefit to the town, DRC is constructing a palava hut, equipped with a pit latrine, for community use. At the moment, town hall meetings and cases are held at the home of the town chief.

Palava hut constructed by DRC for the people of Bluntuo. Photo: Arrington Ballah

Besides helping women start new businesses, Manlee said the organization also played a role in spreading awareness to men in the town about domestic violence.

“We the men used to beat on our women, sometimes two to three times a day,” he said. “But at least, this time, we have gotten to know that women are our helpmates and not for beating.”

The Danish Refugee Council is a private humanitarian organization from Demark founded in 1956. It has operated in Liberia since 1998, with presence in Maryland, River Gee, Lofa and Nimba Counties.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah