About 27 Liberians are currently benefiting from a two- week Training of Trainers Workshop in Cooperative Development and Management in Gbarnga City, Bong County.
The training which started on Thursday, August 5, 2021 ends on August 15, 2021 drew its participants from six communities namely; Tumutu, Salala and Totota in Bong County; Ganglota, Salayea, Konia, Yeala and Boi in Zorzor District, Lofa County.
Providing the overview of the training during opening programme, ILO’s Country Manager in Liberia, Salif Haji. Massalay, said the training is part of a peace building intervention jointly implemented with FAO and WFP, in Liberia and is funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund entitled “Strengthening the role of youth in reducing conflict through the promotion of rural employment opportunities in conflict-prone areas.”
He said the project aims to sustain peace by addressing two interlinked root causes of conflict in Liberia, namely grievance over insufficient participation of young women and men in local dispute resolution and lack of employment and livelihoods opportunities for rural youth.
Land disputes are a major driver of fragility in post-war Liberia including in the counties of Bong and Lofa where the project is active to sustain a youth-inclusive peace and improve social cohesion.
“This TOT workshop as part of ILO deliverables is sponsored by the Liberia Multi-Partner Trust Fund Project: “Sustaining Peace and Improving Social Cohesion through the Promotion of Rural Employment Opportunities for youth in Conflict-Prone Areas in Bong and Lofa Counties.”
Mr. Massalay added that the project identified Bong and Lofa Counties as two conflict prone areas for many reasons, key among them are the level of youth involvement during the Civil conflict, their lack of participation in decision making processes, and lack of employment and livelihood opportunities.
He maintained that in order to sustain peace they convinced the Peacebuilding Office about the needed for interventions in these communities.
He said that the project is being implemented in Tumutu, Salala and Totota, in Bong County targeting 600 youths as direct beneficiaries. Communities benefiting from the project in Lofa County are: Gangota, Salayea, Zorzor District including Konia, Yeala and Boi also targeting 600 youths.
Mr. John R. Dennis of the UN Peacebuilding Office assured participants that upon completion of the training, they will be provided the needed resources and support to organize and have an effective cooperative structure to benefit their respective communities.
He said that prior to coming of the project, an analysis from a survey conducted by the Peacebuilding Office in Liberia shows that the project will serve good for the targeted communities.
Facilitators of the TOT Workshop are: Mr. Albert Omar Mruma an international facilitator of the ILO based in Tanzania and Local facilitator, Mr. Nathaniel T. Saah, Sr, Secretary General Liberia National Federation of Cooperative Societies Ltd and Project Consultant.