The World Bank Group and the Government of Liberia have signed two financing agreements totaling US$13.25, 000.00.
The agreements are geared towards providing apprenticeships to vulnerable youth in urban areas and to support agricultural transformation and value chain addition, using productive public works and community-driven development approaches particularly for youth in rural areas.
The two financing agreements are the Youth Opportunities Project in the amount of US$ 10M from the International Development Association (IDA) as credit and the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation (EMUS) project totaling US$3.25 as grant.
The World Bank Group was represented by Inguna Dobraja, Liberia’s Country Manager, while the Government of Liberia was represented by Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara M. Konneh at the signing ceremony.
Minister Julia Duncan-Cassell of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Minister Len Eugene Nagbe of Information, Saah Charles N’Tow of Youth & Sports, including Clara Doe-Mvogo of MCC and LACE Julius Selee were others who graced the occasion.
Minister Duncan-Cassell expressed delight with the signing of the agreements, adding that it will help thousands of vulnerable girls, while MCC Clara Mvogo stated that the agreement will also enhance the collection of over 50 percent of both primary and secondary waste in Monrovia and its environs.
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Youth and Sports Minister Saah Charles N’Tow explained that the process leading to credit started since 2013, but its fruition has made him glad. He said the program has been designed to impact young people across the country.
According to him, the youth project targets over 15,000 young people for a period of over five years.
Minister N’Tow said the project is broken into three components and it is comprehensive in design. He said it tends to look at young people before employment, households enterprises and productive public works.
In remarks World Bank Liberia’s Country Manager Inguna Dobraja said the Youth Opportunities Project will help transform the lives of Liberia’s large youthful population.
Ms. Dobraja noted that the MCC EMUS project will increase access to solid waste collection in Monrovia, thus making the city a clean and healthy place to live.
Ms. Dobraja indicated that the youth project will improve access to income generation opportunities for about 15,000 youth aged between 15 and 35 years. She said the project seeks to mitigate the impact of future shocks and will also improve efficiency in the delivery of cash transfers to targeted households.
For his part, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Amara M. Konneh said the signing of the agreements reflects the commitment of the government in terms of raising the standard of living of its people, particularly the youth.
Minister Konneh said the youth project is geared towards helping young people become entrepreneurs at the end of the project implementation. He explained that the other component of the project ensure capacity development for the social cash transfer program implemented by the Gender ministry.
