The Sirleaf Market Women's Fund

The landslide vote that made Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of Liberia - and Africa's first elected woman president - was the result of the strong support of Liberia's women, an action unique in Africa and in the world! We invite you to share this victory for women by contributing to a fund named for President Sirleaf that is helping Liberian women traders restore their livelihoods as they recover from 14 years of civil war.

Today, as Liberians engage in reconstruction and reconciliation, a special concern of women is renewal of the rundown and battered markets for food and basic goods - places where women buy and sell from mats on the ground or temporary shelters, and places that have become community centers, despite the lack of resources and poor conditions. See for yourself.

Success Stories

Massa Davis can take stock of the goods she sells as a result of the SMWF Adult Literacy Program. "Thank God I can write my own name and that of my commodities such as pepper and bitter balls." Now, she says, "I can keep track of the amount that I get from sale and profits."


The Sirleaf Market Women's Fund literacy program has taught more than 500 Liberian market women to read and write in the past year alone. The AlfaDen program, with funding from UNIFEM, is currently working in 11 markets to help more than 20,000 women make a better living so they can contribute to Liberias growth and development.

A total of 603 market women in 11 markets have benefited from SMWF's micro-credit program. By mid-2011, over US$35,000 had been disbursed. In rural markets each woman receives US$50 and pays 10% interest. In urban markets the women get US$100 loans and pay 15% interest. Before the loan is disbursed, the recipients must attend a one-day workshop to help them better understand the terms of the transaction.

Recent Happenings

Three SMWF/US Board members and a systems specialist traveled to SMWF/Liberia for two weeks in June to discuss future activities and channels of communication. They met the new SMWF/Liberia Board and trained staff members in planning, monitoring and reporting skills.

Previously, just two professional Liberian staff worked in a cramped office in Monrovia while SMWF/US had no office or paid staff for oversight, fund-raising and promotion. High levels of commitment had been required of all concerned — and given.

The staffing and office situations have now been transformed. Five staff in Liberia assist in the process of market construction and expansion of services, and improved office space and transportation facilitate day-to-day work. In the US, recent grants finance a small office and a part-time program manager.

We are now poised for even more intensive work to meet the goal of building, repairing and providing services to 50 markets. So far, 13 market have been built and nine are in the pipeline. We are nearly half-way to our goal.

 
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