Africa-Press – Liberia. The Government of Liberia in collaboration with the World Bank has donated a consignment of hand tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) to several flood-prone communities across Monrovia.
In a significant step toward enhancing flood resilience and sustainable urban management, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), in collaboration with the World Bank through the Liberia Urban Resilience Project (LURP), has donated a substantial consignment of hand tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) to several flood-prone communities in Greater Monrovia.
The ceremony was held on Wednesday, September, 24, 2025 at the Ministry of Public Works in Monrovia. In attendance were Acting Minister of Public Works, Jocelia J. Taplah, staff of LURP, representatives of community leaders, among others.
The donation, valued US$70,000, includes 220 heavy-duty galvanized wheelbarrows, 810 forged steel blade shovels, 440 high-quality carbon-steel blade cutlasses, 440 rakes, 440 hand diggers, and a large quantity of assorted PPEs, including steel-toed rainboots and rubber hand gloves.
The initiative, funded under the World Bank-financed Liberia Urban Resilience Project (LURP), is aimed at empowering communities to carry out regular drainage maintenance to reduce risks of flooding in vulnerable areas of the capital.
Flooding in Monrovia has long been attributed to poor drainage infrastructure and inadequate maintenance of existing systems. This donation supports a community-driven approach to ensure continuous upkeep of drainage networks.
The initiative complements an earlier emergency drainage cleaning campaign during which the Ministry Public Works, in collaboration with three Liberian contractors and local residents, cleaned over 83,238 meters of stormwater drainages in Paynesville, Northern Bushrod Island, and Central Monrovia.
“This donation is not for individuals or community leaders; it’s for the communities to use in keeping their environments clean and flood-free,” said Gabriel S. Flaboe, Sr., Project Coordinator of LURP/MIDP. He emphasized the role of communities in safeguarding the tools and confirmed that a monitoring and evaluation team would ensure proper use and maintenance.
Acting Minister of Public Works, Jocelia J. Taplah, described the event as a clear demonstration of government’s intention to partner with communities in tackling flooding. She blamed much of Monrovia’s flooding on poor waste disposal practices, particularly by residents, who hand over garbage to disadvantaged youth that in turn, dump waste in drainage systems.
“You, the community dwellers, have a part to play. As Liberians, we owe it to ourselves to make this country better,” Minister Taplah said. “These tools are intended to maintain the drainages even when the Ministry isn’t present. That’s how we reduce climate change-related disasters.”
She urged communities to store the tools securely and make them available for collective use, warning against their misuse or privatization.
Representing the 44 recipient communities, Musu Solomon of Bushrod Island, expressed gratitude to the Public Works and the World Bank for the timely intervention. “We assure you that the tools will be used for their intended purpose, for the benefit of the communities and the people,” she said.
This support will significantly improve environmental cleanliness and help us address the flooding challenge, she added.
LURP is a six-year partnership between the Government of Liberia and the World Bank, with a total funding of US$40 million. The project seeks to improve urban planning, enhance climate resilience, and expand access to basic services in key Liberian cities, including Monrovia, Paynesville, Buchanan, Gbarnga, and Ganta.
Its core interventions include drainage rehabilitation, flood risk mitigation, market upgrades, and strengthening capacity of urban management institutions.
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