Korto Lomell - A Market Woman's Story Displaced as a result of the war from her hometown of Bomi Hills, Korto Lomell, who has been a market woman for ten years, currently lives in Monrovia where she sells food provisions on a zinc structure now rusty as a result of being constantly exposed to Liberia's torrential rains. Mother to one daughter, who is in the ninth grade and who she hopes to sponsor through to college, Korto caters to an extended family of approximately 25 persons living in Monrovia and in Bomi Hills where she comes from. 1) How did you become a market woman and for how long have you been doing it? I have been selling for the past ten years now, ever since my family and I fled to Monrovia. Like many women my age, the war put a stop to any dreams of getting an education and without any formal training; I had to turn to trading and selling small items to support my self and my family. 2) From what you just told me, I gather you have been selling small items since you started ten years ago. Is this a choice of yours or are you interested in expanding your business; and if so why have you not done so yet? I have tried to expand my business before, but each time, the war took everything I had away. Now even though I still think of growing my business, it is hard to come by the kind of cash I will need to invest in the business, because of my dependents. Maybe when my savings grow, I will. In the meantime, I buy my goods wholesale from the Lebanese importers. 3) Can you tell me a little bit more about what you do daily? Well, as a market woman, I have to wake up a little bit earlier than most because I have to be there to sell my goods to customers, but I must say that I am lucky that I don't deal in perishable goods because that would mean waking up even earlier as our market does not have the storage facilities necessary for keeping those. So, I wake up around 4:30am, get my goods ready to take to my stall, wake the children up around 5 am, get them ready for school and then make breakfast. After making breakfast, I usually go ahead to the market. After breakfast, which is usually around 7.30am, the children usually pass by my stall for lunch money before going to school. I am usually at the market until 5pm when I go home to make dinner for my family. I do this everyday, except Sundays when we stay at home. 4) Do the children ever spend time with you at work? Yes, they do that most of the time. Immediately after school they come and stay with me till I am ready to go home. That's the only way I can keep an eye on them. As you can see, my daughter is here with me right now. 5) If I told you that I was from the SMWF, what would you say? [She smiles and says] Young lady, I already know that. Who else comes here everyday to look around and take pictures of this dark, rusty zinc shack we call our market. But seriously, I would say job well done to Ma Ellen and everybody else who is helping her do a great job of helping us. When this new market is complete we will have a proper structure, which will shelter us from the rain, keep our goods safe and dry and keep our surroundings clean and organized. If these things happen, I know the market will attract more buyers and it will be to the benefit of us all. And I know that if I work hard enough, ten years from now my daughter will be in a better position than I am. She might even be doing what you are doing now. Thank you for coming, but before you go, let me dance for the SMWF and Ma Ellen.

Amelia Ward: A Woman with Vision Amelia Ward is, by all accounts, considered a role model by Liberians from many walks of life. A proud mother of four children, Mrs. Ward has played a pivotal role in the transformation of 21st century Liberia from conflict and anarchy, socio-economic stagnation and backwardness, towards genuine national reconciliation, peace, and development. When civil war was raging in Liberia, and much of the government infrastructure lay in ruins, Mrs. Ward was appointed Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs by the president of the erstwhile Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), Dr. Amos Sawyer. Her primary task? To oversee the revamping and restructuring of government offices. She notes, "We went to Ducor Palace (then the seat of government) to make sacrifices for our country. With a team of dedicated men and women, we were able to put together a blueprint for restarting the different ministries and agencies, and restarting basic social services. This is something that I am most proud of." Few were surprised that Mrs. Ward was the one was chosen to for this role. After all, it was the fourth time she had been given the portfolio of Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs. "I had many offers to work both in and out of the country, but I turned them down because I felt that I would be more useful in Liberia than anywhere else. I always felt that my country trained me, and I therefore had a commitment to serve my country." Mrs. Ward obtained a Diploma in Statistics from Achimota College in Ghana, West Africa, and graduated with a BA and MSc degree in Development Economics from the University of San Francisco, in the United States. Over the years, she also attended or facilitated a number of workshops in peace-building and negotiation, as well as in women's leadership. "All of this training helped me in the fight for peace not only for Liberia, but also for the Mano River Basin and Africa. Also, during my entire ministerial career, I always put women's issues first." Highlighting her hope for the country's market women, she states: "As a grassroots group, my vision for the market women has always been that they would move from being petty traders to becoming owners of stores and shops. I am pleased that this government has the commitment, through friends of goodwill, to improve the lives of market women, especially through the Sirleaf Market Women's Fund and other groups." Mrs. Ward along with other prominent Liberian women advocates, had, over the years, courageously engaged ex-warring factions and other stakeholders for peace in the country. "I want to see a peaceful and secure Liberia, where there is mutual respect for one another, committing ourselves to make sacrifices in the interest of the country. I want a Liberia where men and women can work together as partners. We want the men to know that women are no threat to them. Let us put all our differences aside. Let us love one another and move forward."