By Kingston S. Kollie
The Bishop of the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL), Bishop Nimely Jarbokly Donyen has given L$1,650,000 to several marketers in District # 2, Montserrado County.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Bishop Donyen disclosed that the loan is the fourth in series that marketers have been benefiting from clarifying that the Compassion for life based in America provides the funding.
He told the elated marketers over the weekend at the Cathedral of the ICCL in Lower Johnsonville that the money that was being loaned to them emanated from previous loans and that the remittance is what they were signing for as the loan saying that the amount would be divided amongst them according to the size of the market coupled with their ability to repay.
Beneficiaries of the loan were; Mount Barclay Market, Jleypo Marketing Association of Monrovia; Peace City Market, Johnsonville Rehab and Cheerful Givers Trading Club. Others are, Kpelleh Town Junction Market, Pepper Wulu Market and Kpanwein Community with others.
The Clergyman then lauded the Mount Barclay marketers for being the first group to have completed repayment of their portion of the loan and therefore they received L$250,000.00 (two hundred fifty thousand Liberian Dollars).
Bisop Donyen pose with Marketers
“If all beneficiaries repay their loan in full and in time, the donors will always appreciate us by increasing the loan money but I thank you all for the effort that you have applied. I am aware that times are hard but that was an opportunity for you to prove yourselves reliable,” he urged them.
According to the Bishop, the total of L$5,919,310 has been given to marketers from various markets in District # 2, Montserrado County since March 2019 to August 2020 adding that the partnership is focused on helping to improve the lives of the people.
He then assured the various market women of his partnership’s willingness to finance the Article of Incorporation should any market group wants to form an association encouraging them to remain committed to paying the loan on time because there is brighter future for them.
Responding to the gesture, Madam Sheron Bestman, Superintendent/ Peace City Market, showered praises on the Bishop and the donors for what she called saving many lives through the loan scheme.
“Can you imagine when someone is on his or her dying bed and that person is rescued permanently? It’s unbelievable,” she wondered.
She then testified that the loan continues to transform their lives evident by their economic status presently as some of them now own huge amount of goods while some also credit other colleagues boasting that the loan has made them real women.
“We cannot wait for our husbands again when it comes to catering to our families because we are able to undertake some of the responsibilities in their absence and report later,” she maintained.
Madam Madia Somah, Superintendent of the Mount Barclay Market also said likewise and stressed that she would prefer calling Bishop Donyen FATHER due to the fact that he is no doubt playing a fatherly role in their lives by lobbying aggressively on their behalf for those things that are capable of improving their lives.
She said when they were in need of affordable school for the kids of the poor people, he established the Cheerful Giver High School (CGHS); when Ebola and COVID-19 struck, they gave us protection like a hen protecting its chicks; when they needed water for life, they paid more than US$19,000 and brought the water intended for them but wicked people have taken away their water which is now being sold.
“Despite all of these, they are not deterred but continue to support us which undoubtedly qualifies the partnership as a true father for us. So we will always cherish them as we live because they are making a mark in our families’ lives.