Published: July 20, 2026
GBARNGA, Bong County – More than 80 single mothers and young women graduated Saturday, July 11, from a three-week vocational training program in soap production, agriculture and other livelihood skills, with the Bong County administration pledging an initial 50,000 Liberian dollars toward the program’s next phase.
The graduation, organized by the Youth Development Agency (YDA), drew county officials, development partners and community leaders, who used the ceremony to renew calls for greater investment in women’s economic independence and urged the graduates to form cooperatives supplying locally made soap to schools, clinics and public institutions.
The training targets a stark reality. According to the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services and the 2019-2020 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey, women in rural communities face higher poverty rates, lower access to formal employment and fewer economic opportunities than their urban counterparts, with many female-headed households relying on small business, agriculture and informal trade. Organizers said the program was designed as a direct response, offering vulnerable women a practical path to self-reliance.
Announcing the county’s contribution, Senior County Administrator Sam B. Elliott said the administration also plans to engage volunteer trainers and diaspora partners, including contacts in Canada, to provide further training and materials.
“When you have the skills, even if you don’t have the resources today, those skills will help reduce household expenses and eventually raise income to support your family,” Elliott told the graduates. “We should begin supporting local production instead of depending on imported products. The skills you have acquired today can create businesses, provide jobs, and strengthen our local economy.”
YDA Program Coordinator Alonso Killenjor traced the initiative’s growth from a single volunteer’s effort two years ago into a county-wide program, recalling that he personally sought out hardworking mothers and single women and gathered an eager group within two days.
“We discovered that many young women and single mothers were ready to learn and improve their lives. They did not come because of money; they came because they wanted knowledge they could take back to their communities and share with other women,” Killenjor said.
He acknowledged the sacrifices participants made, including long walks to the training center and pushback some faced at home.
“You sacrificed your time, left your homes, and remained committed to learning. That determination shows your desire to change your lives and contribute meaningfully to your communities,” he said, adding: “Our goal is not to stop here. We want these women to become trainers themselves so more sisters in other districts and communities can also become economically independent.”
Delivering the keynote in place of Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye, who was unable to attend, Stephen Jorquelleh Mulbah described vocational training as one of the most sustainable investments a person can receive, drawing on his experience implementing a decade-long women’s empowerment project.
“Giving people life skills is more valuable than simply giving them money because skills remain with you for life,” he said. “If we organize ourselves well, we can reduce dependence on imported products and proudly produce quality goods right here in Bong County.”
Mulbah assured the graduates of Senator Moye’s continued commitment to initiatives supporting women, youth and vulnerable families across the county.
YDA National Director Robert K. Gboluma Jr. said the partnership with the Single Mothers Association grew out of the agency’s track record in Bong County over the past three years, including a plumbing and agriculture program that benefited more than 100 young people.
“When we saw the impact of our earlier programmes, we knew there was more work to do. That is why we partnered with this group to ensure more vulnerable women could benefit from practical skills training,” Gboluma said.
In an interview after the ceremony, Gboluma said the initiative also serves as a strategy for reducing violence against women by giving them economic independence.
“Our vision is to build a generation of people who can stand on their own, make informed decisions, and live with dignity instead of depending on others,” he said.
He said funding constraints keep most of YDA’s work concentrated in Bong County, with much of the agency’s support raised abroad, particularly in Canada, but that the organization hopes to expand into Lofa and Nimba counties as resources allow. He pointed to the Emerging Summer School, a three-month digital skills program in Monrovia, as the kind of training YDA hopes to eventually bring to rural communities.
Regional gender coordinator Madame Viola Cooper Teamah reaffirmed the county administration’s commitment to work alongside the Single Mothers Association, and officials cited an earlier partnership with the Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center that brought economic empowerment support to 108 young people in the county.
The ceremony closed with the presentation of certificates, with many graduates pledging to establish small businesses, support their families and pass their knowledge to other women. Organizers said planning is underway for the next phase, with hopes of reaching single mothers in additional districts across Bong County.
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