Africa-Press – Liberia. MONROVIA —
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Liberia has awarded the Liberian government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports a 22 million United States dollar youth activity program for youths of Montserrado, Bassa and Lofa counties.
The Education Development Center (EDC), a global non-profit organization that advances solutions to improve education, promote health and expand economic opportunity, will implement the project in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Producing Positive, Educated, Employed, and Self-Reliant Youth (Pro-Peer)program will run for 5 years from 2021 to 2025.
USAID’s Acting Deputy Education Office Director, Mardea Nyumah, has said the goal of Pro-PEER is to increase the economic self-reliance and resiliency of Liberian youth between the ages of 15-29 years in the three targeted counties. She added that five principles, namely; systems strengthening, private sector engagement, promoting youth skills development, innovation, and inclusion will guide the program.
According to Mrs. Nyumah , the initiative will provide over 20,000 young people with the skills, expertise, support and connections to productively engage, participate and compete in their local economies. The various components will target youths with no basic literacy and numeracy skills, secondary school dropouts and university level students. During the timeframe of the project, beneficiaries will be empowered to transition to employment or start their own enterprises, with special emphasis on youth with disabilities.
To ensure sustainability and local ownership, Pro-PEER will be implemented with participation of local stakeholders, including youth, women and community leaders in the targeted counties. Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister, D. Zeogar Wilson has welcomed the
initiative, adding that it will go a long way in building and augmenting the capacities of youths in Liberia. Minister Wilson has intimated that the program as funded by USAID presents a magnificent effort aimed at supporting the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. Minister Wilson has extolled and extended profound appreciation to USAID Liberia for its continuous support to the government and people of Liberia in various sectors. He opined that the project, when fully implemented, will greatly impact the lives of its beneficiaries.
At the same time, Minister Wilson was named Deputy Youth and Sports Minister for TVET, Hon. Peter S. Bemah, as chief MYS/Pro-PEER Liaison. Deputy Minister Bemah will work with the project implementing partner, EDC, and help to design creative ways to provide sustainable empowerment for targeted beneficiaries of the project.
