LIBERIA: Liberian Women Bloom in Entrepreneurship

They beat the odds as leaders, innovators, and achievers in their own world of business. Their entrepreneurial energies in developing economic empowerment in a gradual manner have enabled them to make tremendous contributions toward the sustaining of Liberia's economic progress. Their endless strives for economic growth and development, coupled with their performances along this line, are equally noteworthy.

Women & Family on July 27, 2010, took a trip to the border towns of Loguatuo (on the Liberian side) and Gbeinta (on the Ivorian side). While there, we were privileged to observe key business activities of some enterprising Liberian women who, on a weekly basis, make it their duty to purchase, for our consumption, all kinds of veggies and fruits from the mountainous city of Man in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire. Among vegetables brought into the country are fresh tomatoes, deep purple glossy eggplants or “black beauties” (as they are referred to by their importers), cabbage, beneseed, fresh and dried pepper, just to mention a few. Also, pawpaws, avocadoes, among other fruits, are brought in from Cote d'Ivoire by Liberian women.

In a bid to avoid a surplus on the local market but maintain a constant demand for the products, the women have cleverly and strategically divided themselves into two groups: the Red-Light commercial district [Paynesville] group and the supermarket [on Benson Street, downtown Monrovia] group. They told Women & Family that they have established contacts and customers---mainly farmers---in Man.

Per week, two women from Red Light plus three from Benson Street will make a trip there. The following week, three from Red Light plus two from Benson Street would go. “They know what we want, how we want it and when we are expecting it,” Debora, a key tomato and pepper importer, told this writer.

Tomatoes

While there, the women pay US$50 per crate or box of fresh tomatoes. Loading and transporting the goods from the warehouse in Man to the border cost them 2000 CFA per crate (roughly US$4). And while at the border, they spent US$80 per consignment of 60 crates as custom fees. They are also charged L$450 per box of tomatoes by drivers before transporting them to Monrovia their final destination. Once at Red-Light, a box of tomatoes is sold for L$5,000.

“Although this business is a fast-going one, it is also risky. You've got to be a risk-taker to do it. This is because, it is a perishable business. To make up for the wastage along the way to Monrovia, we have to buy additional boxes of tomatoes. It is water goods. They don't like rain. If they get beaten by rain, they get spoiled. Also, they don't like heat. So we have to coordinate our movements in order to have drivers always posted at the border, awaiting us.

“And during the rainy season, we suffer so much. Because, for instance, if the car gets stuck in the mud, especially while climbing the Gbedin Hill between Karnplay and Sanniquellie, we have to get into the mud to transport each box of tomatoes on our heads. It can't be easy,” Debora stressed.

Pepper

For the fresh pepper, Women & Family was informed that while in Man, the women are taken to large pepper farms to make their choice before the pepper is harvested and bagged for transportation to Liberia. According to them, there is constant scarcity of fresh pepper on the Liberian market from July to August annually.

It is at this time that the competition in the local pepper market gets high. Also, farmers in Man have taken keen notice of this time in the year and have made it their duty to meet the increase in demand for this commodity during this period. A bag of fresh pepper is purchased for 3000 CFA (roughly US$6) and sold in Monrovia for L$5000.

The eye-watering spicy and hot dried pepper is purchased by kilo. Depending on the quality, prices may range from 300 CFA (roughly $75 cent) to 500 CFA (about US$1). At least 80 to 100 kilos are enough to fill a bag. Once in Monrovia, a bag of dried pepper is sold for L$10,000. A bag of pepper, be it fresh or dried, is charged L$250 as transportation fees from Loguatuo to Monrovia.

All of these commodities are mostly transported by pick-ups and Kia Motors. During our interactive session with the women while they went through custom procedures at the border, Women & Family observed how boundless the mental power of Liberian women is in effecting positive changes in their precious lives---and the larger society.

To our economic partners out there, we say invest in strengthening the naturally built-in-capacities of these women. This would further enhance their entrepreneurial strength in meeting the emerging challenges of the century.

The connection here is that enabling women to reach their full potentials through the development of their skills and qualifications boosts income generation which automatically translates into societal well-being. Such initiatives make women more productive.

Similarly, economically empowering them has the potential to create multiplier effects: the welfare of their families would be positively impacted. Let's note that women's world of entrepreneurship is large, diverse and of great economic significance.