Liberian President Joseph Boakai touts the multi-donor and government funded initiative – the REALISE Project as success story that impacts the lives of vulnerable people and women across the country.
He told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday that the project ((Recovery of Economic Activity for Liberian Informal Sector Employment) is delivering direct cash assistance and business support to tens of thousands of the country’s most vulnerable households, with a particular focus on women-headed families.
“The REALISE Project supports 53,650 vulnerable households, with direct cash transfers to 16,000 families,” President Boakai said during his speech at the Fourth World Conference on Women.
He added that the program also provides business assistance to more than 4,450 individuals, 80 percent of whom are women.
REALISE combines social protection and livelihood support: direct cash transfers to targeted vulnerable households, business assistance for small entrepreneurs and training to help recipients build sustainable income sources.
The program is described as part of Liberia’s broader Agenda for Inclusive Development, a five-year plan to invest US$8.3 billion in gender equality, youth empowerment, education, health care and social development.
Boakai framed REALISE as a tangible example of Liberia moving from pledges to results, highlighting its emphasis on gender-targeted social protection as the country pursues Beijing+30 goals and prepares for a two-year term on the UN Security Council.
The administration also pointed to related efforts such as the Liberia Women Empowerment Project, which it says is reaching 36,000 businesswomen across six counties, and youth programs that have worked with nearly 25,000 adolescent girls and young women.
The REALISE Project is funded by the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Government of Liberia, aimed at improving livelihoods through various sectors, with agriculture being a crucial component. The projects are pivotal for empowering local farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the nation.
