By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary On the evening of April 23, a group of ministers and stakeholders – including civil society and community leaders – gathered at a hotel in Monrovia for a stakeholder dinner with the goal of approving Liberia’s draft carbon market policy. The timing was urgent, they were told….
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: A grand jury in Monrovia has indicted 11 people accused of operating a sprawling human trafficking ring that prosecutors say lured dozens of Liberians with promises of jobs abroad before holding them captive, extorting money from their families and subjecting some victims to rape and torture….
Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen is a Ghanaian multimedia journalist, researcher, and sciencecommunicator specializing in climate change, air quality, environmental sustainability, andpublic health.He produces and hosts Climate Focus on JoyNews, a programme that examines climate andenvironmental issues affecting communities across Ghana. Through journalism,documentaries, and human-interest storytelling, he makes complex scientific andenvironmental topics accessible to diverse audiences.Mahmud is the Founder and…
Abigail Annoh is a journalist with the Ghanaian Times, a subsidiary of the New TimesCorporation, based in Accra, Ghana. With more than a decade of experience, she has reportedextensively on health, gender, disability, and social development issues.Her journalism focuses on amplifying underreported voices, advancing public healthawareness, and fostering informed public discourse on issues of national and…
By Tetee Gebro, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: BENSONVILLE, Montserrado — Benetta was 17 when she first became pregnant. No one had ever explained sex, contraception, or how pregnancy happens to her. People in her community started talking and urged her to visit a clinic. A nurse told her she would be a mother…
Liberia’s vast tropical forests hold over a billion tons of stored carbon — a potential lifeline for the nation’s economy. With the new Carbon Market Authority, the government hopes to turn carbon credits into millions for schools, clinics, and roads. But experts warn that without strong oversight, “carbon cowboys” and weak regulation could repeat past…
By Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith Summary: ASALOKO, Upper East Region – Every Saturday morning, before the sun has climbed high enough to bake the red laterite earth here, Mary Asaah is already moving. She sweeps her compound here in this community of about 1,200 people, then works her way outward, combing the dirt paths for…
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Wednesday received draft bills for a proposed war and economic crimes court and a national anti-corruption court, barely four days after renewing the mandate of the Office tasked with establishing the tribunals. Boakai had ordered it to work immediately with the Legislature to secure passage of the measures within 90…
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…
The Red Cross has started rebuilding homes in Bethel Town, River Cess County after the mob attack that destroyed much of the community, but residents continue to struggle with hunger, lack of clean water, and insecurity. While the new houses bring hope, families say their most urgent needs remain unmet, leaving recovery fragile and incomplete….
BY KINGSLEY E. HOPE KEJETIA MARKET, Kumasi — Akosua Frimpong arrives at this busy central market before dawn. By 6am, she has arranged her foodstuffs on the median strip — tomatoes, onions, yams, okra, garden eggs — hawking them to pedestrians and drivers passing by. By evening, she will have stood there 14 hours, breathing…
Seven months after President Joseph Boakai halted Liberia’s national ID rollout to fix problemsin the system, the program is still not running. Officials say the country cannot access itsbiometric database because the government owes 1.7 million dollars to the company that built it. The delay means millions of Liberians remain outside the system. Tetee Gebro…
By Joseph Titus Yekeryan with New Narratives NEGBAN, Bong County – The vegetable and lowland rice field behind the Yan family home here should be alive with movement this time of year: young men clearing brush; laughter rising above the steady rhythm of hoes striking soil, and seedlings lined in careful rows. Instead, the field…
Armed men have broken into the offices of Liberia’s leading organization investigating civil warcrimes. Activists say it’s the latest in a series of threats against victims, witnesses and investigatorslinked to efforts to bring perpetrators to justice. Human rights groups are urging the government to strengthen protection as Liberia moves closerto establishing a war crimes court….
By JENNIFER AMBOLLEY with New Narratives POKUASE, Accra- Every evening, as the sun began to fade over her neighborhood, Grace Antwi would prepare dinner on her narrow porch. The charcoal stove sat low to the ground, thin grey smoke curling into the air. For years, this was how cooking was done — her seven-year-old daughter…
The story follows Eriah Nahnie, a Liberian refugee detained in Massachusetts after arriving in America as a child. Despite raising a family and believing his asylum status protected him, he now faces removal to Liberia—a nation he has no ties to and barely recalls. His case highlights a broader pattern of Liberians being targeted under…
Liberia’s anti‑corruption watchdog has admitted its plan to fight graft by placing “whistleblower boxes” in government buildings has failed, with fewer than three reports submitted in seven months as citizens fear retaliation for being seen near the boxes. Experts say the experiment highlights a deeper crisis of trust and safety in reporting corruption, and are…
Liberia’s biggest human‑trafficking case is now hanging by a thread as government officials remain silent over explosive bribery allegations, while 11 accused traffickers could walk free on bail this month due to delays in prosecution. Victims who bravely came forward say they feel abandoned as the justice system falters, raising serious concerns about corruption, accountability,…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate correspondent with New Narratives Summary A few nights before a high level climate dialogue convened in Monrovia last week, a violent windstorm tore through Gomue Village, Zota District, Bong County in, what experts said, was an ominous reminder of the stakes for Liberians across the country as climate change worsens. Roofs were shredded;…
Three months after the government’s big World Sight Day promise to screen 1,000 students and distribute 12,000 reading glasses, communities are still waiting for clear answers. While the Ministry of Health says thousands of glasses came from international donors, there’s still no public breakdown showing who actually received them. With so many Liberian children struggling…
Liberia’s new U.S. health deal is being sold as progress, but experts warn it may leave the country more vulnerable than ever. Funding for lifesaving programs has been slashed, oversight is weaker, and critical services for women and families could disappear just when Liberians need them most. Even more alarming, the agreement gives the U.S….
