A Joint United Nations Project titled “Building Resilience of Youth, Women, and Vulnerable Groups through Social Protection Floor in Liberia using ICT,” is currently being implemented in the country.
Providing the background of the project, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Country Coordinator to Liberia, Mr. Haji Salif Massalay said that the project aims to address the complex multi-sectorial and inter-connected challenges of human insecurities particularly food, social, and economic issues for the most vulnerable and neglected populations of the North-Central region of Liberia at the community level.
He said the project will promote the concept of human security through implementing this initiative as a model of human security with “protection” and “empowerment” measures as the most appropriate approach.
The ILO Country Coordinator noted that the project will target 3,000 young women and men household heads including youth living with disabilities as direct beneficiaries (targeting 50% male and 50% female participants) and 10,000 indirect beneficiaries.
“To address the inter-connected challenges earlier mentioned, the project focuses on three key interrelated outcomes with the third on the promotion of the human security concept. The Three (3) Outcomes of the project are:
- Increased access to digital innovation for women and young males and females in the targeted counties for inclusive human security and community empowerment.
- Increased access to resilient food systems for women and young males and females in the targeted Counties for sustainable and inclusive economic and human development; and
III. Increased knowledge for men and women of the concept of human security in all Counties of Liberia through implementing this initiative as a model human security project.”
As one of the pathways to achieving outcome 2, a step-down training for entrepreneurs on how to start and improve their business will be conducted and hence this workshop. Mr. Massalay stated that the objective of the workshop is to build the entrepreneurial capacity of an initial 108 vulnerable community members on how to start and improve their business. The SIYB is a management training program with a focus on starting and improving small businesses as a strategy for creating more and better employment.
The intervention will ensure increased access to livelihood opportunities for women and young males and females in the targeted Counties for sustainable and inclusive economic and human development.
As earlier stated, an initial 108 vulnerable community members will benefit from the entrepreneurial skills training on how to start and manage their business. The beneficiaries were selected from six of the nine project communities (Yeala and Zorzor, Bahn and Gbanquoi, and Botota and Forkelleh) in Lofa, Nimba and Bong Counties respectively.
The step-down training which officially kick-off in Saclepea, and Lofa in Nimba and Lofa Counties last week will run until December 6. The training will also be administered in Gbarnga beginning December 7 for beneficiaries from Botota and Forkelleh in Bong County. With funding from the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security, the intervention is being jointly implemented by the International Labour Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization, United Nations Development Programme, UN Women and World Food Programme.
The training is being facilitated by two certified SIYB Trainers in Liberia, Dr. Gondah Moses Zorlue and Mr. Alieu Lee Kemokai.
Start and Improve Your Business
The Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme is a management-training programme developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with a focus on starting and improving small businesses as a strategy for creating more and better employment for women and men, particularly in emerging economies.
The programme has four inter-related packages – Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Improve Your Business (IYB) and Expand Your Business (EYB). For the purpose of this step-down training, emphasis will be placed on generating their business ideas, and starting and improving their business. Courses to be covered include but not limited to: Generate Your Business Idea, Improve Your Business – Buying and Stock Control, Improve Your Business – Marketing, Improve Your Business – Record Keeping, Improve Your Business – Costing, Improve Your Business – Planning for Your Business, Improve Your Business – People and Productivity, Improve Your Business – Business Plan, and Start Your Business – Adult in a Learning Situation.
At the end of the training, beneficiaries who develop realistic and implementable business plans will be provided with initial start-up capital to start implementing their business plans. The rationale is to provide them with livelihood opportunities for inclusive human and economic development that will strengthen their resilience to any economic shock.
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