Bishop Nimely Jarbokly Donyen has given L$3,626,000 to several marketers in the Township of Johnsonville and beyond.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony, Bishop Donyen showered praises on the Compassion for Life, an American-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) for its support towards the empowerment of a huge number of marketers in Liberia and their business environments.
He emphatically stated that the money is a loan to them at 10 percent interest rate and stressed that it is not a grant.
The distribution was held over the weekend at the Bishop Donyen’s residence in the Red Hill Community in District 2 in Montserrado County.
The marketers who benefited from the first loan in 2022 are; Nimba United Market, L$660,600; Central Johnsonville Market, L$550,000; Palm Bush Market, L$429,000 including Pepperwlu Town Market, L$118,535; Mount Barclay Market, L$125,115,000 as well as Kpawein Community, L$91,495, among others.
The Bishop of the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL) urged marketers who received the loan and others to remain focus so that they can prioritize the repayment of the loan time adding, “When someone is bathing your back, you must also try and bath your stomach.”
He told the enthusiastic marketers that if they repay the money in time, then the amount of cash is bound to increase noting that it would provide the opportunity for other marketers to form part of the program.
Meanwhile Bishop Donyen informed the gathering that some people from Liberia wrote a so-called complaint to his partners in the United States of America on November 21, 2021 alleging, among other things, that he is always using humanitarian funds that are remitted to him by the Compassion of Life on political activities and that he he is giving out the micro loan at 35 per cent interest rate.
The ICCL Bishop vehemently trashed those allegations that were levied against him in the purported letter terming it as a conspired ploy intended to tarnish his character.
“All the projects that I have undertaken are tangibles while other services rendered are documented; Besides, l have always invite media institutions when dedicating any project so those allegations are false and misleading,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, responding to the gesture, the General Secretary of the Central Johnsonville Market, Pastor Tamba S. Daniel commended Bishop Donyen and the Compassion for Life describing the support as their only hope when it comes to improving their businesses through the loan.
“We find it very difficult to secure loans from banking institutions due to the high interest rate along with the collateral challenge so Compassion for Life has been a great help to the marketers by firmly standing in the gap,” he admitted.
The Superintendent of the Nimba United Market, Kebbeh Harris, also expressed gratitude for the loan saying that they are astonished because it is this same Bishop Donyen who has also constructed their big market building with support from his partners on a humanitarian basis.
“They have decided to give us loan so as to enhance our businesses which is an intriguing experience for us,” she marveled.
She then advised her colleagues to justify the confidence reposed in them by meeting the terms of the loan as it is the first loan that they have received.
While the Superintendent of the Palm Bush Market, Esther Boakai stated that they are delighted owing to the fact that the loan has proven to be a catalyst to the success of business operations stressing that the interest rate at ten percent is to motivate people to form part of the program.
