GANTA, Nimba – Several businesswomen in Ganta benefited from a L$3 million (US$22,900) donation from Nimba’s first electoral district representative, Jeremiah Koung.

The money, according to the lawmaker, is intended to be used as microloans to help the women improve their businesses as a means of escaping poverty.

“I want to see women leaving poverty,” Koung said. “Especially women who are widows and have their children in school – we want them to come out of poverty through this means.”

The lawmaker said the money made available to the women was in fulfillment of a request made to him during the campaign period.

“As you may be aware that during the campaign season, many of our women came to us, asking us that they wanted us to help them with money to do businesses for themselves,” he said. “We told them that we were going to make some money available to them and this is the beginning. Today we’ve started the process of providing the first L$3 million.”

Koung encouraged the women to properly manage the funds to allow others to benefit from it.

“This money is not mine—it’s for them, and we don’t intend to make [a] profit from it,” he said. “We are telling them to put in their leadership that will manage it well—this is intended to keep them together, and that other women too can be able to benefit from it as they grow stronger.”

Since Koung was reelected in Nimba in October, he has mostly been in Monrovia or out of the country. His absence created speculations among some residents that he would not fulfill his campaign promise to provide the funds.

Koung said his absence from the district was partly due to the need to be in Monrovia during the determination of leaders of the various committees in the House of Representatives.

One of the beneficiaries of the loan, Abigail Vah, told reporters that she was excited that the lawmaker has kept his promise. She noted, “There is time for everything.”

Koung has vowed to ensure that the rest of his campaign promises are fulfilled. As a candidate on the ticket of Sen. Prince Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction, Koung promised to support education, healthcare, and youth and sports development. He also pushed to support women’s empowerment through microloan initiatives.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah