UNIFICATION CITY, Margibi – A candidate for Margibi’s district two representative seat, Henric Marcus Speare, has launched a L$1,000,000 (US$11,363) women’s empowerment program in Lower Margibi.

Daniel Bulaakpah, the chief of staff for Speare, said the program is intended to provide grants to women’s organizations that provide loans to their members in the district.

He said the initiative was Speare’s personal contribution to empowering women by helping them own small scale businesses. “Hon. Speare over the last few weeks has noticed that most of our sisters, our mothers, and our wives are out of business, so he thought to launch this empowerment program,” he said.

Bulaakpah said the program would allow women to have the capacity to buttress the economic strengths of their husbands.

Bulaakpah said L$500,000 (US$5,682) has already been released and will benefit women’s groups in towns like Charlesville, Unification City, Barclay Farm, and Cotton Tree.

According to Bulaakpah, the grant will be managed by the various women’s organizations and the interest generated from the money will be used to increase the number of beneficiaries.

He disclosed that women’s groups in other communities in the district would also be able to receive grant funding after completing an ongoing training in loan schemes and business management.

He encouraged women in other communities in the region to organize themselves into groups and apply for the grant.

Bulaakpah also said there are plans to launch a larger phase of the empowerment program soon. The next phase of the program will target youths as well as elderly people in the district.

Four organizers of women groups in Lower Margibi have praised Speare for the initiative and promised that the grant will benefit more women in the district.

Maimah Davis, Korpo Jones, Loise Mulbah and Mark Lloyd, in separate statements, expressed gratitude to the Speare, adding that the grant was a sign of good leadership.

Loise Mulbah, the secretary for the United People for Change Women Organization in Unification City, said the program will also help to train women in small business management.

Speare is the founder and chief executive officer of Eagle FM Radio Station, St. Paul Ecumenical High School and Green Pastures Funeral Service in Unification City. He also previously served as the superintendent of the Mboo Statutory District in Margibi.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah