1,313 Women-led Businesses in River Cess, Grand Gedeh Begin Training to Qualify for Grants

Published: October 12, 2026

MONROVIA — More than 1,300 women-led businesses in River Cess and Grand Gedeh counties are being trained this month to manage savings, maintain business records and meet grant conditions, preparing them to receive grants under the World Bank-financed Liberia Women Empowerment Project.

By Lennart Dodoo

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection said in a statement that the training is scheduled to run from Oct. 8 to Oct. 29 and will target 2,033 participants representing 1,313 enterprises, all of whom are grant applicants under the project.

The enterprises include 1,073 individual enterprises, 230 village savings and loan associations, eight farm-based organizations, and two livelihood groups.

Training is underway in both counties. In River Cess, 847 participants from 589 enterprises are organized into 24 clusters, with sessions scheduled through Oct. 24. In Grand Gedeh, 1,186 participants from 724 enterprises are organized into 30 clusters, with sessions running through Oct. 29. Each cluster receives two days of practical training using Catholic Relief Services’ SMART Skills 2.0 materials, according to the ministry.

The Foundation for Community Initiatives is facilitating the training, with support from Plan International Liberia, the project’s lead service provider, and Catholic Relief Services. Staff from the gender ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture are supporting the training and monitoring, according to the statement. The activity falls under the project’s Sub-component 3A, which focuses on capacity building for resilient livelihood groups.

Sessions cover financial literacy, savings management, record-keeping, business management and group dynamics. Participants are also taught the grant management cycle, including grant amounts, payment tranches, and milestones, as well as environmental and social safeguards, gender-sensitive and transformative approaches, good agricultural practices, and climate resilience.

Facilitators are also providing hands-on assistance with business registration, articles of incorporation, bylaws, and constitutions. The ministry said follow-up mentoring and monitoring will continue after the sessions to reinforce what participants learn and support income generation.

The ministry said the goal is to strengthen women-led businesses’ ability to manage savings and records, understand grant requirements, apply safeguards before grant disbursement, and build more resilient livelihoods.

The Liberia Women Empowerment Project is a government initiative implemented by the gender ministry with World Bank financing. It operates in Bomi, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Montserrado and River Cess counties and aims to address harmful social norms, expand women’s access to livelihoods and services, and strengthen institutions that promote gender equality.