Sustainable Livelihood Empowerment Program

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Location: Liberia

Goal of the Project

To provide sustainable livelihood empowerment for disadvantaged and sexually exploited women and young girls through skill training (soap making) and community infrastructure to run their own small business. Financial independence and increased self-confidence will allow the women to provide greater care to their children and themselves.

Background

Liberia is a war torn country that was hit by Ebola epidemic in 2014 to 2016 with over 4,000 deaths. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Women accounts for over 50% of the population. The country also has high illiteracy rate especially among the women who also have no other livelihood skills. Women empowerment is critical to eradicating poverty and accelerating national and global development. The future growth of Liberia depends on meeting the needs and aspirations of women and children. The country is currently facing the worst economy crisis during post-war Liberia with high inflation. This is causing a high increase in prostitution amongst young girls and single mothers in urban cities. The act of prostitution continues to expose young girls and women to sexual exploitation and vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.

In Liberia, prostitution is illegal so many men usually take advantage of it and exploit the girls or women who are involved in the practice. Some of the girls and women are even forced to have unprotected sex in charge for money exposing them to various sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

Purpose of Project

At FOWACE, we believe that the best and sustainable way to reduce prostitution, exploitation and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases among disadvantaged young girls and women is to empower them through sustainable livelihood skills training programs. Skills training along with small business management training will increase financial independence and self-confidence among the young girls and women involved in prostitution leading to a drastic reduction in prostitution and sexual exploitation. Together with health education will also help to reduce the transmission of sexual transmitted diseases.

Therefore, FOWACE Inc. wants to embark on an economic empowerment program for 25 most disadvantaged young girls and single mothers through soap making training, small business support and health education in Voinjama City, Lofa County, Liberia. FOWACE Inc. will identify 25 most disadvantaged young girls and single mothers who are active in prostitution in Voinjama City. They will be trained in soap making, small business management and health education. The soap making training will be done on Monday through Thursday, and Friday will be used for health education and counselling plus to sell the soap produced. Funds generated from the sale of the soap produced will be used to compensate the trainer with USD 50.00 per month for 5 months, and the balance will be added to the funds allotted for start-up materials to get each beneficiary 1 and half containers of soap making oil and half bag of caustic soda.

The project will go for six months starting September 2019 to February 2020. After the training, each beneficiary will receive a start-up soap making materials (1 and half containers of soap making oil and half bag of caustic soda). Individual and group counselling and health education will also be done throughout the project implementation to ensure that every beneficiary of the project fully know the risk attached to prostitution in Liberia and unprotected sex. FOWACE Inc will continue to work with the beneficiaries after the project to ensure that each of them success in their own soap making business.

Project Activities

  1. Identify the beneficiaries

  2. Identify the training site and purchase the materials needed for the training

  3. Start the daily training with the beneficiaries

  4. Individual and group counseling and health education

  5. Small business management training

  6. Graduating the participants and giving each of them start-up materials

  7. Do regular visitations to gather updates on the progress of their businesses and families

  8. Monitor and evaluate the project

  9. Make reports along with pictures and videos to the project funded

Monitoring and Evaluation

FOWACE Inc. has trained and experience staff with the passion and commitment in ensuring that the organization succeeds in achieving its mission and vision of empowering marginalized and vulnerable women and children in Liberia, most especially in areas where little or no attention is given to the thousands of women and girls who are abused, abandoned, deprived and forced into unbearable situations and conditions. The evaluation methodology will include group evaluation, individual evaluation and visiting homes to assess the level of improvement as a result of the project. We will take record on the amount of soap produce weekly and prosper in the soap making business. All the information will help us to determine the impacts of the project on individual beneficiary and her family.

Aims of Project

The project aims to provide the beneficiaries with the following positive impacts:

  • Break the cycle of dependency and despair by providing skills (soap making) and knowledge (small business management) that will generate a sustainable source of income. Having an independent source of income will enable the women to have greater control over their lives. Both income and control are social determinants of health; therefore our project will contribute to increased health outcomes for the women and their families.

  • Reduce prostitution, sexual exploitation and transmission of STDs among the project beneficiaries through the provision of sustainable income generating program and health education.

Overall, the project aims to reduce prostitution, sexual exploitation and STDs among the beneficiaries and promotes sustainable income generating activities for the beneficiaries.

Expected Outcomes

Financial empowerment, greater independence, improved living conditions and reduction in exploitation and prostitution are the long term changes expected after the implementation of the project. The beneficiaries will have a useful and needed skill (soap making) that they will continue to use to improve their lives and the lives of their families and community. The outcomes of this project also align with the following Sustainable Development Goals – 1. No poverty, 2. Zero hunger, 3. Good health and well-being, 5. Gender equality, and 10. Reduced inequality.

Project Partner:

Foundation for Women and Children Empowerment

News on Sustainable Livelihood Economic Program: