By Joyclyn Wea and Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon with New Narratives Summary TARKUN TOWN, River Cess County – Before daylight, MissionMai Sam heads for her coconut and palm farm. The mother of eight and her husband who cuts palm for a living, have spent years growing and selling what she can, hoping to make the farm…
Governance
Global Study Shows Most African Workers ‘Struggling’; the Cost is Paid by Teachers, Healthcare Workers Who Hold the Economy Together
A global workplace study found that many workers across Sub-Saharan Africa are struggling economically, a reality reflected in Liberia’s schools and health facilities. Teachers and healthcare workers described challenges including low salaries, payroll delays, heavy workloads, and difficult working conditions. Experts warn that these problems can weaken education, healthcare delivery, and the country’s long-term economic…
As Hypertension and Obesity Rise, Government Urges Citizens to Get Moving
By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary CATHOLIC JUNCTION, Monrovia – Rain was falling Saturday morning when Nadia S. Jolo joined a group of people walking from through Monrovia’s streets as part of the country’s first National Exercise and Wellness Day. For the 51-year-old, getting wet was not enough to turn…
Lack of Transparency Clouds Government’s Street Child Program as Officials Concede Funds are Inadequate to Address the Exploding Numbers
By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary WEST POINT, Monrovia – When school lets out here in this informal settlement on the seashore, 15-year-old Stanley does not go home to rest or study for the next day. He picks up a bundle of plastic bags and walks towards the traffic, selling until…
A Government Assessment Shows Liberia Is 69 Percent Ready for Ebola. Frontline Health Workers Say the Missing 31 Percent Matters
By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary: • A nationwide Ebola preparedness assessment found Liberia 69 percent ready overall, while logistics scored only 47 percent, leaving major gaps in equipment, supplies, isolation facilities and training. • Frontline health workers say those logistics gaps can mean the difference between safely isolating a suspected…
Hungry and Out of Options, More Poor Liberians Turn to Begging as Prices Outrun Income
As the cost of living continues to rise across Monrovia and beyond, growing numbers of vulnerable Liberians say they are being pushed into begging just to survive. The story highlights the struggles of families facing unemployment, soaring food and transport costs, and limited access to healthcare, while aid organizations and community groups report increasing requests…
Young Liberians Win Historic Taskforce to Fight Sexual Violence — Now Comes the Hard Part
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: When young Liberians marched through the streets of the capital in March demanding stronger action against rape and gender-based violence, many wondered whether the government would simply receive their petition and move on. Less than two months later, the Ministry of Gender has answered that question…
After 12 Years, Lansanah Leaves a Lasting Legacy
After 12 years leading Liberia’s National Elections Commission, Davidetta Browne Lansanah has stepped down, leaving behind a record many see as proof of the power of women’s leadership. As a bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Liberia’s Legislature remains stalled in the Senate, advocates point to Lansanah’s successful management of two presidential elections, including…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
Thousands of bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia to assist vulnerable Liberians became the center of a major corruption case that is now nearing its conclusion in Monrovia. But in flood-affected communities in River Cess, some residents say they knew little about the trial and are still waiting for the relief they were promised….
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
The long-delayed trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians is underway in Monrovia, but flood victims in River Cess say justice must go beyond the courtroom. Saudi Arabia donated 29,000 bags of rice in 2023, and prosecutors allege that 25,054 bags, valued at about US$425,918, were stolen, misapplied…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary INTERNATIONAL TIMBER INDUSTRY VILLAGE, River Cess County — When Eric Kollor learned that former government officials were finally on trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians, he was surprised. The case had been moving through the courts in Monrovia,…
As National Elections Commission Chief Steps Down After 12 Years, Advocates Say She Offers a Powerful Example of Women’s Leadership
Davidetta Browne Lansanah, who stepped down after 12 years as head of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, left behind what advocates call a powerful legacy of women’s leadership. She guided the Commission through two presidential elections, including one of the closest in Liberia’s history, and won public trust by ensuring results were accepted peacefully. “Females have…
As National Elections Commission Chief Steps Down After 12 Years, Advocates Say She Offers a Powerful Example of Women’s Leadership
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: At the Commission, Lansanah worked through 2 presidential elections, disputed results, political pressure, and one of the closest presidential races in Liberia’s recent history when President Joseph Boakai defeated former President George Weah by fewer than 21,000 votes. Advocates said the fact that the country accepted…
Stalled Bridge Leaves River Cess Residents Risking Their Lives on Makeshift Log — One of Dozens of Abandoned Projects Nationwide
By Eric Opa Doue with New Narratives Summary: BODOWHEA, River Cess County — Every time Cecelia Garseedah thinks about visiting her parents, she must first decide whether the journey is worth risking her life. Her parents live on the opposite side of the Jo River. She must cross a dangerous bridge of two log to…
Liberia’s Economy Has Stabilized. A New Report Argues Paying For What’s Next Is The Real Test
Liberia’s economy has stabilized in recent years, with growth accelerating to over 4.6% in 2025 and inflation easing due to stronger fiscal discipline and monetary management. The government’s reforms have narrowed deficits and improved external balances, while mining, agriculture, and infrastructure spending continue to drive expansion. However, the country’s future hinges on securing sustainable financing…
Liberia’s Economy Has Stabilized. A New Report Argues Paying For What’s Next Is The Real Test
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, reporter with New Narratives Summary Liberia’s economy has shown real signs of improvement. Inflation has come down. The government has narrowed its budget deficit. Growth has picked up. But according to a new report from the African Development Bank, stability by itself won’t be enough to carry Liberia forward. The report is the…
Ex-President Sirleaf Lashes Lawmakers in Capitol Speech, Calls Low Representation of Women Embarrassing
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says Liberia should be ashamed that women occupy only 11 of the 103 seats in the National Legislature — warning that the imbalance is slowing the country’s development and peacebuilding efforts. Women’s rights advocates welcomed her remarks, saying the low representation reflects the continued dominance of male political power…
Liberia Turns to Austrian Firm to Rescue Troubled National ID System as Activists Flag Security Concerns
Liberia’s national ID system has struggled for years — delays, breakdowns, and security concerns. Now, the government is turning to an Austrian firm to rescue the program. But activists warn: who will protect citizens’ data? Will this fix finally deliver IDs that work, or just raise new risks? Tetee Gebro reports in this social media…
Liberia Turns to Austrian Firm to Rescue Troubled National ID System as Activists Flag Security Concerns
By Tetee Gebro and Joyclyn Wea with New Narratives Summary: Nearly a year after public anger forced the government to suspend the chaotic rollout of the national digital identification registration, Liberia is preparing to hire a private company to help restart the enrolment and operate the system. The system will digitize the data of the…
Three in Every Four Liberian Are Under 35, the United Nations Promises a New Approach Will Give Them a Role in Shaping Programs Meant for Them
Three out of every four Liberians are under 35 — a powerful force for the nation’s future. At a recent UNDP youth dialogue in Monrovia, young entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and innovators demanded not just encouragement but real tools: funding, mentorship, training, and opportunities. The UN has promised a new approach that listens first and acts…
Three in Every Four Liberian Are Under 35, the United Nations Promises a New Approach Will Give Them a Role in Shaping Programs Meant for Them
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: “If they are not feeling it, if you are not making a difference in what they do, then we are irrelevant.” That was the frank concession from Aliou Mamadou Dia, the United Nations Development Program’s resident representative in Liberia, to more than 50 young people —…