Africa-Press – Liberia. Executive Director Mr. Samuel Sumo Dean Sr.
The Government of Liberia (GoL), through the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD), has launched an empowerment scheme under Pillar-6 of the “Arrest Agenda” aimed at advancing human capacity development for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The initiative, which began with a four-county tour across Lofa, Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa, marks a significant shift from the traditional charitable approach to disability support toward a social model that focuses on removing barriers and enabling full participation in society.
With a pilot budget of USD 200,000, the Executive Director, Samuel Sumo Dean Sr., said the program will empower 100 PWDs in its first year, targeting four key areas.
Speaking at a news conference held in Monrovia on Monday, August 11, 2025, Mr. Dean said the initiative will focus on skill training for 40 women and youths, entrepreneur grants for 20 PWDs, agribusiness support for 20 PWDs and financial assistance for 20 school-age children with disabilities.
According to him, the five-year plan aims to reach 5,000 PWDs across all 15 political subdivisions, with the pilot serving as a blueprint for nationwide expansion.
During the launch tour, he explained that the team engaged local government officials, lawmakers, disability persons’ organizations (DPOs), and community leaders to build strong monitoring and evaluation frameworks, ensuring transparency and measurable impact.
A major highlight of the engagements was the call for a National Disability Equity Fund, which would draw on corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from multinational corporations, concessionaires, and large businesses. The fund would supplement government allocations, which is currently set at 3% to help lift the estimated one million Liberians living with disabilities out of poverty.
“A key outcome of the engagements was a call to establish a National Disability Equity Fund. This fund would leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from multinational corporations, concessionaires, and large businesses to catalyze services and opportunities for PWDs, in addition to seed funding already provided by the government,” said Mr. Dean.
He lauded President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to decentralizing disability interventions and ensuring opportunities reach communities across the country.
The launch is seen as a decisive step toward an inclusive Liberia where empowerment, equity, and opportunity are standard, not exceptional.
Asked about the metrics in selecting the four counties, Mr. Dean said the idea was to ensure that the initiative is tested in the bigger counties so as to have first-hand information about the progress and challenges before rolling it to the smaller counties.
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