In Liberia, many women face enormous challenges in securing sustainable livelihoods. Limited access to finance, inadequate technical skills, and heavy household responsibilities often prevent women from expanding their small enterprises. In rural areas like Bopolu District, women farmers and entrepreneurs struggle to balance their dreams of financial independence with the daily realities of poverty, high school fees, and scarce opportunities.
For Janet Sonkaarly, a 48-year-old mother of five from Marley Town, these challenges have been all too familiar. Since 2023, Janet has been rearing goats, a trade she started with just two animals. Through determination and sacrifice, her herd has grown to eight goats (five females and three males). At times, she has had to sell some of them to pay her children’s school fees, reflecting the difficult trade-offs many Liberian women are forced to make between survival today and investment in tomorrow.
On August 22, 2025, Janet’s life took a new turn when she signed her grant agreement under the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. She is set to receive her first 50% grant disbursement to scale her enterprise.
“I will use some of the money to learn from veterinary services on how best to care for my goats and increase production,” Janet explained with excitement.
Her vision goes beyond survival. Janet hopes to produce goat milk, an expensive and scarce commodity in Liberia, and eventually supply supermarkets. She also dreams of opening a butchery to provide quality meat for her community. Importantly, she wants to share her skills with local hunters, encouraging them to raise domestic animals instead of hunting wildlife. By doing so, Janet believes she can help protect Liberia’s forests, conserve biodiversity, and promote climate-friendly practices.
“Once I share my skills, hunters can earn clean money without destroying nature. That way, wild animals will be protected, biodiversity will increase, and our ecosystem will thrive,” she said proudly.
For Janet, the project is more than just a business opportunity, it is a lifeline for her family.
“I am certain that my children will not suffer again. The goats will pay their school fees until college level. I am a happy and empowered mother. My appreciation to the Ministry of Gender and the World Bank for the opportunity. It is not a waste. It is the best they have done for us women.” She noted.
The LWEP’s impact goes beyond individual success stories. By September 2027, the project aims to empower 2,000 women-led enterprises, helping to address the long-standing inequalities that hold Liberian women back. Janet’s journey reflects a new possibility, one where women can move from subsistence survival to sustainable growth, from dependency to empowerment, and from vulnerability to resilience.
