The Impact Institute (II), an indigenous Liberian group has organized a two- day capacity building and entrepreneurs training for young women and girls aimed at building their capacity and community through economic empowerment and leadership development.
With the topic: “Building Confidence, Self-esteem for Success in Business and in Life,” the event took place Monday, November 7, 2022, at the Duahzon United Methodist Church, Margibi County. It brought together over 150 young women and girls from Montserrado and Margibi Counties respectively.
The training offers a unique experience for grassroots women and it has been developed to enhance the capacity of potential women and girls to build their confidence and skills to encourage and develop themselves in business and leadership.
Welcoming the participants, Rudolph Bropleh, Director of Impact Institute said the institution was established to build capacity within organizations and strengthen communities including the church so that they are empowered and able to lead.
According to him, the objective of the training initiative is to inform, inspire, instruct, interact and initiate women and girls to enhance their business and leadership skills, adding that information is power.
“A principal target of our work will be children, women, and young people. The church, a strategic community organization, will also be a place of focus for the Institute’s work,” he said during the program.
Bropleh said two things are usually evident in underprivileged and underserved communities: Inadequacy of economic opportunities and the lack of social mobility; or the marginalized means of the same. Two things can strengthen and improve underprivileged and underserved communities: Economic empowerment and leadership development.
Additionally, he said the training is an opportunity designed for young ladies and women to equip them with tools for success. He noted that the institution serves to give Liberians hands up and not handouts. “Thus, the over goal of the program is to help others help themselves by building their confidence as well as help the build small businesses.”
Day one of the event focused on young women and girls while day two under the topic: “How to Build a Small Business and Better Your Life November 8, 2022, gathering is primarily for young men and Liberian contractors who do small to medium size contracts.”
According to the Impact Institute Director, the training will show how to build a small business and improves their lives. Bropleh who also served as facilitator said “The whole concept is to help people help themselves. We organized this event to inspire and empower. We need to raise a generation of workers not baggers”.
He added that participants are from Monrovia and its environ and assured the gathering that very soon it will extend to the 15 counties so that people can be empowered.
Also serving as facilitator, John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK) Director, Patience Martor, motivated the participants to break the enormous challenges and be able to stand firm and pursue goals and dreams and make sure they come to reality.
“In this struggle, you should always remember that the only way you fail is when you give up. In everything we do and anything we should always stand tall to overcome those challenges in life you need to be strong”, she said.
Mydea White-Simmons, also a facilitator spoke on self-esteem and encouraged the women and girls who have gathered at the event to self-excess themselves and build on their strength they have to understand what their weaknesses are and correct them which she said will help them become a better person.
“Inspire yourself to achieve your goal. Challenge yourself and make sure that everyday you are moving forward. People are your greater access, how you treat people. Your pride and integrity matter. Build on your strength and encourage yourself that you can be that person you want to be”, she said.
The participants who spoke in separate remarks, thanked Impact Institute for thinking in their direction to help them fulfill their life goals.
Most of them who shared similar experience of their life stories and the necessity of the program in reaching their goals, termed the training as timely and impactful and promised to use the knowledge acquired to improve and better their lives.
