15/10/2025
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐
๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐
๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ
October 15, 2025:
The Recovery of Economic Activity for Liberian Informal Sector Employment (REALISE) on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, concluded the first round of its Community Livelihood and Agriculture Support (CLAS) component in Sumo Town Suehn Mecca district, Bomi County.
The milestone marks the completion of a project that spanned 15 communities within the district and aimed to benefit 16,200 individuals across eight counties, including Bomi, B**g, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Nimba, and Sinoe.
According to Anita Marshall, deputy project coordinator for economic inclusion on REALISE, the CLAS initiative sought to equip beneficiaries with sustainable farming practices capable of adapting to climate change while enhancing their capacity to manage agricultural activities and operate small businesses more effectively.
Marshall noted that county consultations in 2023 secured approval from the Bomi County Local Authority, which facilitated the projectโs location and rollout. She expressed gratitude for the communitiesโ engagement and lauded the project as a successful implementation.
The program provided cash for labor subsidies and funded several community projects using proceeds from the farming initiatives, Marshall indicated.
She urged beneficiaries to persist in applying the lessons learned during the one-year CLAS cycle, acknowledging there were challenges along the way but expressing optimism that rural communities will continue to improve and that there may be potential for a subsequent round of funding.
Local governance officials also welcomed the projectโs impact.
Suehn Mecca Statutory District Superintendent Morris Smith praised REALISE for elevating agricultural activity in the district.
Smith credited Bomi County Superintendent Miatta Dorley with selecting Suehn Mecca for the initiative, insisting the decision has left an enduring, positive imprint on residentsโ lives.
He urged citizens to continue embracing opportunities that can transform livelihoods.
Beneficiaries themselves shared mixed but hopeful sentiments. Many reported improvements in family welfare, with better means to provide for schooling and overall socio-economic development within their communities.
They urged continued donor support and expansion of the program to additional areas so that more people can benefit from similar opportunities.
Kukatonu, one of the implementing partners, reflected on the selection process as fair and transparent, describing it as a lottery-based approach that nevertheless delivered on its promises.
Kukatonu Executive Director H. Fatu K. Tulso commended REALISE for effective ex*****on and called for an extension of the program.
She noted that participants cultivated crops including rice, cassava, groundnuts, and corn on newly developed farmlands.
The CLAS initiative is funded by a consortium of international and local partners, including the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Government of Liberia.
As REALISE looks ahead, stakeholders hope for continued collaboration that will sustain gains in agricultural productivity and informal sector livelihoods across Liberia.
---Keep Following Pumah FM TV for more updates-----
