(Monrovia)-Women involved in the processing/sale of fish and fish products known as Fishmongers are to shortly begin receiving World Bank funding through a grant intended to positively impact their businesses and improve their livelihoods across Liberian fishing communities.
The World Bank US$2million Grant is to be implemented by Conversation International through the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP) under the National fisheries and Aquaculture Authority of Liberia.
As part of efforts to begin the full implementation, Conservation International CI in collaboration with the government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture recently disclosed plans to begin rolling out the World Bank US$2Million grant to hundreds of fishmongers across Liberian fishing communities.
Speaking at the start of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP) Grant Fund Manager Inception Workshop held at a local hotel in Monrovia, the Deputy Director General for Technical Services at NaFAA said the government is about to begin transforming the lives of fishmongers across fishing communities through World Bank US$2Million grant.
William Y. Boeh who served as a proxy for the Director General of NaFAA, Hon. Emma Metieh Glassco, noted that with the credibility and professionalism of Conservation International, the government of Liberia is confident that fishmongers in Liberia will receive all the necessary basic training in business management as it relates to the proper usage of the grant.
Under this project, there is also a development of the Women in Fisheries Training Manual which will aid in the organization and training of fishmongers.
Moreover, the project seeks to engage and support dialogue with financial institutions to target women entrepreneurs as a viable market and enhance their financial products offering through hands-on financial literacy, and business management training for women-owned small and medium enterprises.
The grant intends to empower Fishmongers to develop their businesses progressively from macro-businesses to micro-businesses which would include adopting climate-smart interventions, educating other women-owned enterprises, and ultimately earning positions as small- and medium-scale enterprises with proven credit absorptive capacities when they would be linked with the formal financial market.
The funding is part of World Bank’s US$40 million loan and grant to the Liberian government for the improvement of the fisheries industry.
The project has a twenty-four-month life span and will impact seven of the nine coastal counties including Montserrado, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Maryland.
Meanwhile, the Country Manager of Conservation International Liberia, Dr. Peter Mulbah mentioned that they have completed all documentations to commence processes leading to the training and disbursement of the grant to fishmongers in targeted counties.
At the same time, Dr. Mulbah is encouraging all fishmongers in the project affected counties to form a part of the already organized Fisheries Cooperatives to fully benefit from the US$2Million grant.
“we advise that all fishmongers join the fisheries cooperatives established in the seven counties, because the money from the world bank is intended only for women, those doing fish business”
Giving an overview of the marching grant funds Dr. Mulbah assured that CI is willing to work cooperatively with all stakeholders to ensure that the project is successfully implemented across the affected counties.
