2 017United Nations in Liberia VOL. 1 | NO. 3 January - June

UNCT Newsletter

WFP Regional Director Meets Top UNCT and UNMIL Officials

Mr. Dieng (center) with WFP Country Director Bienvenu Djossa (left) and UN Resident Coordinator and DSRSG Yacoub El Hillo WFP Liberia

UNDP GOODWILL AMBASSADOR CROWN PRINCE HAAKON OFNORWAY LAUDS LIBERIA’S EBOLA SURVIVORS AND RESPONSE WORKERS

FROM FARMS TO SCHOOLS AFTER EBOLA, A DIFFERENT KIND OF SCHOOL MEALS IN LIBERIA

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 10

WFP’s Regional Director for Central and West Africa, Mr Abdou

Dieng, on a four-day visit to Liberia, Monday held bilateral discussions with two senior officials of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Dieng met with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Farid Zarif, and Deputy Special Representative of

the Secretary General (DSRSG)/UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Yacoub El Hillo, at UN HQ in Monrovia. Dieng lauded UNMIL for their collaboration with WFP and support to the country, adding “We are pleased to see the tremendous progress the country has made to overcome the effects of the civil war and the Ebola Virus Disease to an acceptable level and faster than expected”.

During the meeting,

UNCT Newsletter | 2

CONTENT

UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Crown Prince Haakon of Norway lauds Liberia’s Ebola survivors and response workers

Crown Prince Haakon meets with Ebola survivors and orphans in Caldwell, Montserrado County. Photo: UNDP Liberia

United Nations Devel-opment Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador His Royal

Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway today met with Ebola sur-vivors, and Ebola Response Work-ers and paid tribute to their efforts in caring for people infected and affected by the disease.

“We salute the courage and com-mitment of all the people who led the fight against Ebola,” Crown Prince Haakon said in Liberia’s capital Monrovia, on the second of a three-day visit to the country.

“The Sustainable Development Goals call for leaving no one be-hind. The doctors, nurses and tech-nicians; the volunteers, casefinders and burial workers who went into

communities; the survivors; and the ordinary Liberians who took in survivors and orphans, should not be forgotten, especially now as they rebuild their lives.”

Liberia was hit by the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in 2014. Some 4,806 people lost their lives, and more than 4,500 children were or-phaned. Since the disease waned, some survivors have faced stigma, finding it difficult to find employ-ment or receive healthcare.

The Crown Prince is an advocate for UNDP’s efforts to assist Mem-ber States achieve Sustainable De-velopment Goal (SDG) 1- to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. His visit to Liberia is an opportu-nity to see first-hand the country’s progress in Ebola recovery, in con-

solidating peace, and plans for tak-ing forward the SDGs.

The Goodwill Ambassador’s visit comes as Liberians prepare for two milestones. Elections scheduled for October 2017 are expected to bring in a new government, and the de-parture of the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in early 2018 will see Liberians take their future into their own hands, and an increased focus on peace-building which UNDP, other UN agencies, and partners stand ready to support.

While in the country, the UNDP Goodwill Ambassador is meeting with senior government officials, young entrepreneurs and women’s groups, civil society organizations, local communities and other part-

UNCT Newsletter | 3

ners. He is also visiting UNDP-support-ed initiatives focused on post-Ebo-la recovery and building resilience against shocks, national reconcili-ation, and support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MS-MEs).UNDP’s work in Liberia is aligned with the national development plan, the Agenda for Transforma-tion.

Key focus areas include supporting

the government to develop a strat-egy to achieve the SDGs; technical assistance to the National Electoral Commission for free and fair elec-tions in 2017; improving access to justice and the functioning of rule of law institutions; boosting social cohesion and decentralization ef-forts; and advocacy and engage-ment on laws and other actions related to women’s empowerment.

Crown Prince Haakon has been a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador

since 2003, focused on the Millen-nium Development Goals (MDGs) and now on the SDGs.

He has visited several African countries in this capacity includ-ing Tanzania (October 2003), Si-erra Leone (February 2005), Bu-rundi (October 2007), Botswana (November 2009), Zambia (Octo-ber 2013), and now Liberia (April 2017).

From farms to schools After Ebola, a different kind of school meals in Liberia

Farmers in Liberia have been some of the hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic (2014-2016) as it prevent-

ed them from cultivating their fields, harvesting or selling their crops. It is only this year that farm-ers could fully resume their normal activities.

More than 600,000 people – about 16 percent of the population – face hunger. In most counties, the mal-nutrition rate is over 40 percent.

Liberia is also home to the highest proportion of out-of-school chil-dren in the world, with nearly two-thirds of primary-aged children not accessing school.

With the Ebola outbreak declared over this June, the Government of Liberia developed a plan for the re-covery of both the agricultural and educational sectors. To support this, the World Food Programme (WFP) aims to double its school meals in 2016-2017, funding per-mitting, to reach nearly 300,000 children with daily meals, includ-ing meals made from nutritious, locally grown food.

Billboards, slogans warning of Eb-ola or giving instructions on how to stir away from it are mostly gone. Buses, vans display slogans such as “Life just got better” instead.

Nimba county - bordering Guin-ea and Ivory Coast, in the north

of the country - is a crushing mass of green, a vast botanical wonder-land in which people were allowed to settle. Set against this backdrop, there are school buildings in earthy colours where kids in neat and well-tailored uniforms seem eager to learn.

Ask them what they would like to become when they grow up, and most will answer – ‘a doctor’, ‘a nurse’. Not surprisingly since among these children, you will find Ebola survivors or children who lost parents to Ebola such as Reny and Bill.Time for lunch

It is lunch time and rows of chil-dren sit outside the school building

FAO-supported beneficiaries, “Koyeah Women Cooperative” in Senlay, Nimba County rejoice during the disbursement of their VSLA funds

UNCT Newsletter | 4

with their plates topped with cas-sava, plantains, beans and eddoes (small root vegetable).

“It is delicious…I could eat this every day,” says a giggly Anitha (grade 2).

“The thing I want you to know about this food is that it makes me feel free and strong. I did not know we could eat this food; in my house, we eat rice every day,” chips in Sarah (grade 6).

“I sometimes come to school hun-gry but when I eat here, I feel full and good,” says Aldo (grade 6).

“I live with my dad and other sib-lings now <after losing mom to Eb-ola>. There are times when I have no food for dinner. I am happy to come to school, and have food here,” says Bill (grade 3).

As part of its school meals pro-gramme, WFP started a pilot home-grown school meals proj-ect in June in Nimba county. Each month, WFP buys about 14 metric tons of cassava, beans, peppers, eddoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, fish and palm oil from farmers. All going to some 3,000 students in 12 schools this year – double from the schools targeted in June. This is also the first time, these children have a school lunch.

The programme is to gradually re-place the current traditional school meals programme (based mainly on rice) with the aim to use food produced by Liberian farmers. It also promotes the use of vegetables to encourage a more varied and nutritious diet for Liberian chil-dren whose main staple food has been rice.The cooks

In the yard of the United Liberia

Inland Church School in Saclepea, three cooks are busy peeling and chopping. Each day, they cook for about 120 children. Lucy has three children of her own in school.

“I often sit quietly and look at the children eat and enjoy their meals. It brings joy to see them. This is a blessing to me and many other par-ents; it saves me lunch money and when my children come home, they go playing or do their home-work. They have a lot of energy and don’t seem to care to eat as much as before at home,” says Lucy.The farmers

It takes 10 months for the cassa-va to fully grow. When it does, it grows amidst a jungle of other in-tertwining vegetation. It is a tough job to grow cassava, say the farm-ers. Yet, they want to grow more of it as of this year.

“Now that we can sell them to the schools, we know that our cassava is needed and we can not only sell it at a good price, but also regularly,” says Jimama one of the 150 farm-ers who sells food for school meals this year via WFP and its partner,

the Centre for Women Agriculture Programme.

Kou and Lauretta, who grow cassa-va and plantain, explain that their income has doubled since selling their produce to WFP, and they continue to sell whatever surplus they have in the market.

“The money helps us have more food for our families, and cover medical costs, or buy clothes,” they add.

The programme doesn’t only bring nutritional benefits for students,

but also increased income genera-tion opportunities for farmers, and sustainable development for local communities.The girls

To help secondary school girls stay in school, WFP provides girls and their families with take-home food rations – 12 kilograms of rice and 1 litre of oil per month.

In this school in Saclepea, 21 girls – between 13 to 18 years old – take rice and oil back to their families. “My parents were so surprised

UNCT Newsletter | 5

when I first went home with the rice. It is of big help for all of us…,” says 16-years-old Aisha who is set on becoming a nurse.

“During Ebola, it was hard. I couldn’t go out. I missed school. I missed my friends. It is good to be back,” she adds.

According to Aisha’s principal, since the take home rations were introduced last year, the number of girls in grade 4 to 6 went up from 12 to 21. A small number, but big

steps towards closing the gender gap in Liberia’s secondary school education. For comparison, in Ai-sha’s school, there are 50 boys in grade 4-6.

While WFP has enough funds to cover the needs of the home-grown school meals for this school year, traditional meals for more than 290,000 students are at risk as of January.

If urgent funding of US7 million does not come in time, WFP will

be forced to reduce its take-home food rations and traditional school meals as of January, and gradually halt these programmes.

WFP’s key supporters of the home-grown school meals, take-home food rations and Purchase for progress (rice purchased for school meals) programmes are the US-AID/Food for Peace and Japan.

Story and photos by Adel Sarkozi and John Monibah

World Bank Approves US$16.36 Million to Support Reforms and

Poverty Reduction Efforts in Liberia

The World Bank has approved supplemental financing of $16.36 million for the Third

Poverty Reduction Support Development Policy Operation (PRSDPO-lll) for Liberia.

This operation will help respond quickly to the country’s urgent needs generated by the twin shocks of the Ebola and the sustained slump in global commodity prices, in addition to the impact of withdrawal of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). These factors have worsened the already sharp economic downturn, with severe adverse consequences for employment and fiscal revenues.

“The World Bank Group (WBG) has been an active partner in supporting Liberia through the times of crises. It mobilized financial and technical assistance in close coordination and cooperation with other development partners. The WBG stands ready to further support the Government of

Liberia in the effort to transform the economy, make it resilient to shocks and improve well-being of the Liberian people,” said Larisa Leshchenko, World Bank Country Manager in Liberia.

This supplemental financing for

the PRSDPO-lll comprises $6.5 million International Development Association (IDA) grant, $5.5 million IDA credit and $4,366,500

grant from the Liberia Forest Landscape Single Donor Trust Fund provided by the Kingdom of Norway. This single tranche operation is supplementing the third in a programmatic series of four Development Policy Operations undertaken by the World Bank and is consistent with its Country Partnership Strategy. It will help sustain and deepen the Government of Liberia’s reform efforts in the context of the implementation of the Agenda for Transformation (AfT), which remains the country’s extant medium-term strategy in the wake of the Ebola and commodity price crises.

“The twin shocks and the UNMIL drawdown have intensified fiscal pressures and weakened macroeconomic stability. Beyond the short-term response to the twin shocks, Liberia must undergo through deep institutional, economic and social transformation to address key constraints to sustainable and inclusive growth,”

The WBG stands ready to further support the Government of Liberia

in the effort to transform the economy, make it

resilient to shocks and improve well-being of the Liberian people,” - Larisa Leshchenko, World Bank Country Manager in Liberia.

UNCT Newsletter | 6

said Marina Bakanova and Daniel Boakye, World Bank Co-Task Team Leaders of the Project. This supplemental financing will help to protect priority expenditures and to implement reform measures to put the economy on sound footing under a credible macroeconomic framework. “This will not only support the economic recovery and provide jobs, but will also be critical for building resilience to

future shocks.”

* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the

world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $19 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa.

Restoring their Hope for Sustainability: Rural Women Disbursed L$381,810 from VSLA

The Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Liberia in 2014/15 affected food production and major

agriculture activities. Farmers could no longer work in groups on their farms because of fear of body contacts. As a result, savings of women got depleted.

To mitigate the effects of the situation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) received funding from the Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC) and swiftly moved in together with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP).

The decision by FAO and the Government of Liberia was intended to provide the needed support to women associations in restoring their Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) as well as increase food production.

In Bong, Lofa, and Nimba Counties where the project was implemented, 200 female farmer groups numbering 6,000

beneficiaries received training in improved lowland development, vegetable production, and village savings and loan management.

Koyeah Women Cooperative, with a membership of 26 rural women including four men organized in Senlay, Nimba County, is supported by the SDC-funded project. The women disbursed L$381,810 from the VSLA. This amount (L$381,810), was generated out of the US$1,000 provided by FAO in February 2016 as cash injection into the VSLA.

Madam Jestina Mywurue, Chairlady, took the stage during

the program and raised a song in their local Dan vernacular, as a sign of appreciating God; “What we are getting today is God who provided it, anything we do is in God’s name,”

“We are indeed grateful for our first disbursement “cycle-one, it was FAO who came and introduced this VSLA and provided US$1,000. Besides the cash, they also provided rice mill and de-stoner for the lowland rice production. We were also trained in VSLA and lowland development.”

Madam Mywrue said the VSLA training has improved the

Lunch at Pioneers Foundation Academy school where more than 250 students have daily meals made of vegetables, and fish. PHOTO: WFP Liberia

PAGE 10

UNCT Newsletter | 7

From Peacekeeping to Peace-building: UNRC Tells South-Easterners the UN will

remain after UNMIL

The road to south-eastern Liberia has always been a major challenge during the rainy season for

citizens and non-residents of that part of the country. On 2-5 May, UN Resident Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General Mr. Yacoub El Hillo and delegation defied all odds including bad roads and very heavy rains to travel to the South East of Liberia; precisely Maryland and River Gee Counties.

The UN Delegation met with local government, civil society and youth groups. The three-day field mission was intended to discuss opportunities and challenges in the region, advocate for peaceful and credible elections and inform south-easterners of UN continuous presence even after UNMIL Draws down.

The delegation comprised FAO County Representative Mr. Marc Abdala, UNDP Country Director Mr. Pa Lamin Beyai, UNCHR Country Representative Madam Ndeye Ndour, WFP Côte D’Ivoire County Representative Ms. Adeyinka Abosede Badejo, UNFPA Deputy Representative Mr Philderald Pratt and WFP Deputy Representative Ms. Rokya Yacoub as well as other staff from UNMIL, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and other agencies.

During the mission, Mr. El Hillo and entourage met with county authorities, youth and Women Groups, refugees from Cote D’Ivoire, marketers, and also inspected some ongoing projects.

Meetings in Maryland County

In a joint meeting with Superintendent Betty Kuo-Toe

along with women groups and marketers, the women of Maryland expressed dissatisfactions over the bad road condition during the rainy season, closure of the Maryland High school, lack of business opportunities and Village Saving Loan to empower them.

“The road is a serious challenge during the rainy season making it difficult to buy and sell goods. We most often travel to Cote d’Ivoire which is shorter instead of Monrovia” Elizabeth Nyumah explained.

She pleaded with the UN to empower them through the Village Savings Loan Scheme (VSLS) to improve their businesses and keep their children in school.

Another resident of Harper City Maryland County pointed to the increase in rape cases due to the

DSRSG/UNRC Yacoub Ell Hillo and entourage chat with youth CSOs in Fish Town, RiverGee County

UNCT Newsletter | 8

closure of the court.

She indicated that the county high school is closed and job creation is another issue that needs urgent attention.

Superintendent Betty Kuo-Toe emphasized the impact of UNMIL’s absence in the county and called on the UN to support the county through its waste management and sanitation projects and latrines for public use.

UNDP Country Director Pa Lamin Beyai and FAO Country Representative Marc Abdala, expressed interest in supporting the women through VSLA and agriculture initiatives. “We will help through VSLA project to support you but initially on a small skill. You could use that as a startup to improve your livelihood”, Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Country Director told the women.

Youth and Motorcyclists in Maryland

Like Liberia, youth in Maryland constitutes the majority of the population. A conglomeration of three Youth Associations in Maryland County… Federation of Liberian youth, Mano River Union Youth Parliament and Civil Society Organization and youth from universities, high schools, motorcyclists union and petty-trader came together at a meeting with the UN delegation from Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. Drug use, mob violence, the lack

UNCT Newsletter | 9

of employment and educational opportunities were flagged by the young people as problems affecting them.

“The youth in Maryland have great potential but the lack of employment and educational opportunities (scholarships) is causing most youth to dropout and engage in other activities. Drug use is on the increase in the county particular among youth. We don’t know how they get the drugs or where it comes from but it is a very serious matter to address.

Mob violence is on the rise because the court has been closed for months and perpetrators walk unpunished. Moreover, peace-building cannot be achieved in a context of economic injustice inequality and prevalence of hunger”, Mr. Adam Gyude Moore, President Maryland Youth

New UNCT Members

Dr Miriam ChipimoUNAIDS

Country Representative

Bienvenu Djossa WFP

Country Director

Association lamented.

River Gee Youth Organizations and CSOs

Youth in River Gee also highlighted their challenges as the lack of vocational opportunities, qualified teachers, high unemployment, corruption, increase in female school dropouts, SGBV and rape, weak law enforcement capacity, harmful traditional practices and lack of women’s participation in decision making processes.

In a uniform message, DSRSG/RC El Hillo told the youth and CSOs form both counties that UNMIL is leaving but the UN will remain. “UN is moving from peacekeeping to peace building and UN agencies will continue their work in bringing good education, health, agriculture and development to Liberia. The youth have crucial role to play by being agents of change and should not be seen as drivers of conflict. You (the youth) need to support the elections because it is the future of the country. Young people should stand up against violence by working together

in building the country,” Mr. El Hillo stressed.

In addition, he highlighted the importance of community working together against rape and SGBV and the importance of reporting, to ensure that perpetrators are charged and prosecuted.

Little Webbo Refugee Camp:

The mission also visited Little Webbo Refugee Camp in Maryland County which host over 4,600 Ivorian refugees. The Head of UNHCR Liberia Madam Ndeye Ndour led the tour of the camp and interacted with the refugees. The refugees expressed the willingness to return home but listed some difficulties including: the need to ensure that the population can reach their villages beyond the designated “repatriation point”. They said the money provided to repatriates is insufficient, especially for the most vulnerable. The refugees also mentioned that increment for baggage allowance is needed and cards for most of the Refugee have expired causing challenges for them whenever they travel.

Beneficiaries welcomed Mr. El Hill and delegation to RWEE project site in Gwanbaken, Maryland Co.

UNCT Newsletter | 10

discussions centered on the ongoing UNMIL drawdown and the capacity of the UN agencies in Liberia to continue to collectively support the Government and people of Liberia after the drawdown of UNMIL.

They also discussed WFP’s expertise in areas of food security, nutrition and livelihoods support for resilience building for vulnerable populations. WFP’s technical support to the government on the ongoing Zero Hunger Strategic Review that is intended to assist the country achieve zero hunger status by 2030 in line with Sustainable Development Goal Two (SDG 2)

was also deliberated.

The three senior officials then touched on the challenges faced in mobilizing resources for WFP’s various activities such as school feeding and home-grown school feeding which link smallholder farmers with markets to support education, and the role the government can play in addressing these resource mobilization issues. They also discussed the supply chain services – land/air/sea transport, telecommunications and warehousing - that WFP may provide to UN agencies, the donor community and government after the UNMIL drawdown.

Meanwhile, Regional Director Dieng is expected to meet with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, other senior government officials as well as development partners in Monrovia on Tuesday.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve food and nutrition security and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

members’ business management skills. “Since the group was established, we were only involved in agriculture production; the VSLA has increased our income,” she added.

Comfort Boah received L$19,000 from her 15 shares (1,000 per share) through the VSLA: “I am receiving L$19,000 in total, (15,000 cash save and 4, 000 interest generated).”

Madam Boah caters to eleven children from the proceeds she receives from the agriculture production and the VSLA. “This project has helped my family a lot,

presently, I have eleven children in school, since I joined the group two years now things have improved greatly.”

In acknowledgment of the achievements, she lauded the efforts of FAO and the Government of Liberia for the opportunity provided them and further called for extension of such rewarding venture to women in other parts of the country to help their families.

Speaking on behalf of the FAO Representative in Liberia, FAO Programme Interim Support, Mr. Jesse Yuan re-affirmed

FAO commitment in providing continued support to the Government of Liberia to improve food security in the county.

He assured the farmers: “As you have started this journey, I would like to assure you that FAO will continue to support your efforts. Whatever assistance you need to improve your production, we will support such initiative.”

Mr. Yuan also commended the community leadership for providing the needed support to the women who have decided to lift the community out of poverty.

Restoring their Hope for Sustainability...

WFP Country Director Bienvenu Djossa (left) Mr. Dieng (center) and Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Farid Zarif