As Liberia marks the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, mothers and survivors are raising alarm over a system they say is extorting victims instead of protecting them. Rape survivors—including infants—are reportedly being denied help unless families pay unofficial fees. Mothers describe carrying bleeding children to hospitals and courts, only to be told to…
Education experts say the termination of a USAID program, that funded scholarships to aspiring teachers could undermine government efforts to recruit qualified staff for public schools.Advocates urged government to support students affected by the program’s closure, to complete their education and help address the country’s teacher shortage.As Garmai Tarnue reports for Radio Gbarnga in collaboration…
Medical Experts are raising a warning saying more and more people are staying sick because the medicines meant to kill harmful germs that cause malaria, diarrhea and other dangerous illnesses —aren’t working anymore.The reason? Many Liberians are using antibiotics and other powerful drugs the wrong way, and that misuse is making these medicines weaker and…
Liberia is debating a bill that would allow abortion up to 14 weeks—a change experts say could put the country among the most liberal in sub-Saharan Africa.The House of Representatives approved the bill in 2022, but it’s stalled in the Senate.As Joyclyn Wea finds in this collaboration with New Narratives, the delay has left many…
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1141064819 Fatou Bensouda, an ex-prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has backed a hybrid court, for Liberia. She said the court, which will comprise local and international judges and lawyers, will boost the court’s credibility.This video summaries our exclusive interview with Bensouda….
By Aria Deemie, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary World leaders at the 30th Conference of the Parties, the annual meeting of countries coordinating to halt climate change, formally launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a new global fund with US$5.5 billion in initial support, designed to reward countries that keep their forests…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A former assistant director of the antihuman trafficking Unit at Liberia’s Labor Ministry has been indicted on charges that he participated in the very crime he was appointed to help combat. A Monrovia grand jury’s decision to indict Henry McGill, who held the assistant director…
After a FrontPage/New Narratives investigation exposed deadly conditions for women giving birth at a rural clinic in Arthington, that facility has now been overhauled with a new maternity ward, improved water and sanitation, and medical equipment thanks to external funding, offering a rare bright spot in Liberia’s ongoing maternal health crisis even as gaps like…
By Gloria Wleh with New Narratives Summary: • Many Liberians are misusing antibiotics, antiparasitic, antifungal and antiviral drugs without prescriptions, creating what experts call “superbugs” – infections that are resistant to commonly available drugs. • Families are spending hundreds of U.S. dollars on ineffective treatments as superbugs lead to prolonged illnesses and hospital stays, with…
By Siaway T. Miapue with New Narratives Summary: ARTHINGTON, Montserrado— More than a year after an investigation documented the deadly risks women faced giving birth at a rural government clinic here, the facility has been renovated and equipped with a new maternity ward, officials said at a dedication ceremony this month. The Church of Jesus…
A new global report ranks Liberia among the top ten countries where people experience the most sadness and worry. Experts say women make up most of the number. As reporter Tetee Gebro tells us in this collaboration with Okay FM, women are carrying the heaviest burden caught between survival and stress in a country still…
Liberia is stepping forward with ambitious climate commitments at the 30th UN Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, pushing to cut emissions by 64% by 2035 while advancing its Vision 2030 development agenda. But progress is being challenged by shifting global politics, including the U.S. withdrawal from key climate commitments, raising concerns about reduced international support….
By Aria Deemie, Climate Change Reporter with New Narratives Summary: The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference kicked off this week, in Belém, Brazil, marking what experts say could be one of the most decisive moments for global climate action. World leaders, activists, and negotiators are gathering to chart a path toward limiting global warming….
Millions of Liberians are living with untreated vision problems due to the high cost of eye care and a lack of awareness about eye health, leaving many people unable to access glasses or proper treatment. The situation is affecting children in school who struggle to see the blackboard and keep up with lessons, while also…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A grand jury in Monrovia has indicted five women for allegedly trafficking their own children and those of their relatives to Mali and Burkina Faso. The fourteen children—seven boys and seven girls, ranging in age from eleven months to eight years—have not been identified publicly…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: · Justice advocates say surprise bills from Senator Joseph Jallah and Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence could shield accused perpetrators and undermine years of advocacy for a war and economic crimes court. · The bills would send appeals from the War Crimes Court to Liberia’s…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New NarrativesSummary: Civil society leaders said the Boakai government’s decision to “voluntarily” acceptSalvadoran immigrant Kilmar Armando Abrego García—a symbol of Trump’s hardlinedeportation agenda – violated the man’s human rights and were made under threat ofretaliation Liberia’s acceptance of Garcia came after other African countries refused to take him…
Summary: Among the many issues plaguing Liberia’s farmers, the health of the soil has long been at the top of the list. For decades, farmers have worked with little information about the nutrients, fertility, or moisture in their land, leading to low yields and widespread soil degradation. With as many as seven in every ten…
Liberian experts warn that many farmers remain trapped in poverty because they lack reliable information about market prices, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen who buy crops at unfairly low rates and make big profits. Without access to timely pricing updates, farmers often have no choice but to accept whatever is offered, even when…
Liberia’s renewed campaign to abolish the death penalty is gaining momentum as the government pledges to submit a revised bill to Parliament while human rights advocates and international partners warn that keeping capital punishment on the books could undermine support for the proposed War and Economic Crimes Court and Liberia’s broader justice reforms. Advocates argue…
Summary: By King Brown with New Narratives TAYE TOWN, Grand Bassa County — The weeds have returned, thick and stubborn. But so has Patience Kpan. After a disastrous harvest in 2024, the 37-year-old mother of five is back on her knees weeding grass from her young rice plants. Her youngest child, a barefoot toddler, tugs…
