IPNEWS: Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Lofa County, including those living with disabilities are appealing to UNDP for empowerment programs to enhance their abilities to monitor the implementation of the County Development Agenda (CDA).
“When CSOs are empowered, it makes it easier for us to monitor all sectors including health to ensure that medical supplies reach the intended beneficiaries.
Kamara said that the government supplies medical resources, yet these resources remain inaccessible to the beneficiaries because proper monitoring mechanisms are not in place. “Currently, we survive on revolving funds, where community members contribute money,” he said. Kamara stressed the importance of working with CSOs to implement projects for transparency and accountability.
The UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Aliou Dia was on a tour of UNDP’s project sites, along with Orando Armah, the Assistant Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Local Government.
The CSOs spoke of poorly managed projects and effective sustainability plans for programs funded by donors and other partners.
The Coordinator of the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) also called for the empowerment of women and people living with disabilities so that their voices can be heard.
Yamah K. Ballah mentioned the issues of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV), which she noted were alarming in the County. “Our voices need to be heard too,” Yamah stressed.
The issues of legal aid support, safe homes, capacity development, health, agriculture, education, tourism, sustainability, logistical support, monitoring and evaluation systems, media development, and access and linkages to jobs were among issues discussed.
Responding, UNDP Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia, informed the group that his tour was intended to get feedback from communities on UNDP completed and ongoing projects to explore other avenues for possible intervention.
“I think this is quite interesting, and we are here to support the Liberian Government tackle some of the issues you raised,” Dia noted.
He also disclosed that under UNDP programs, there are possibilities for exploring support to women and youth entrepreneurs including people with disabilities. He said the UN slogan “Leave No One Behind” provides an opportunity for inclusion in the development drive of every sector of the country.
“UNDP supports projects on livelihood for women, youths, and people living with disabilities and will continue to do so. “We must ensure that our programs are designed with long-term viability in mind. This means engaging communities and implementing partners to sustain these projects,” Dia noted.
Orlando F. Armah, Assistant Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Local Government said UNDP’s impact on Liberia is commendable because everyone knows the agency is involved in many developmental projects across the country. He committed the government of Liberia to continued partnership with UNDP to improve people’s living standards.
