Blind Women Defy Disabilities to Become Entrepreneurs
Blindness is one of the many tragedies that Liberians suffer at higher rates than people in other countries because of limited medical care. As many 22,000 Liberians suffer from impaired vision….
Liberia
Presidential Candidate Tiawan Gongloe Promises to Sweep Corruption from Liberia, But Can He Win Over Voters?
Counsellor Tiawan Saye Gongloe, a veteran statesman and human rights lawyer, is one of few of the 20 presidential candidates in next week’s election with a detailed plan to fix Liberia’s problems….
At 78, Boakai Claims Age Makes Him the Best President. Critics Say He’s Too Old and Alliance with Johnson Will Hurt Liberia
With just weeks to the presidential election, pundits say Joseph Boakai, standard-bearer of the Unity Party (UP), presents a serious threat to George Weah, the incumbent president. …
As Instability Sweeps, West African Leaders Plead With Liberian Party Chiefs to Stop Inflammatory Comments
A series of violent incidents by political partisans, and inflammatory comments from party leaders, has Liberians on edge in the runup to next month’s presidential and legislative elections….
Nimba First-Time Voters Say Education Most Important Issue in Choosing President, in Survey
They’re a big group of new voters, in the country’s second-largest county. First-time voters in Nimba will have a major impact in next month’s election so there is a lot of interest in how they will vote. …
The Physically Challenged Candidate Running For Office
Our coverage of election-related activities is not only about presidential candidates. We are also spotlighting representative candidates and their platforms for their constituents. …
Candidate Wants To Boost Representation Of Liberia’s Million People With Disabilities
If resilience were all that was needed to win election, Samuel Dean would win in a landslide. The 45-year-old, who is contesting the Montserrado County District #8 seat against sitting representative Acarous Moses Gray, has had an extraordinary journey—escaping wartime Liberia as a teenager, being shot by police in New York City and, finally, using his payout to help hundreds of Liberians with disabilities….
Liberia’s First-time Voters Overwhelmingly Back a War Crimes Court Survey Finds
As Liberia commemorates 20 years since the end of the civil conflict that left devastated the country and left 250,000 people dead, a survey of first-time voters conducted in two of the country’s biggest counties found overwhelming support for a court….
In Liberia Drug Addiction Is Becoming A Major Problem. Here’s What Presidential Candidates Plan to Do About It
Drug abuse is a growing problem in Liberia. There is no reliable data on user numbers but one study, by the United Nations Population Fund, found a staggering one in five Liberian youth take narcotics. …
As Drug Addiction Reaches a Crisis Liberia’s Presidential Candidates Promise Tough Remedies
In 2012 Cecelia’s life fell apart. Struggling to take care of nine children after the sudden death of her husband, she turned to her oldest son, then in his early 20s, for help. But he was lost to the family, a year into a drug addiction that was destroying his life….
Call for Applications: Journalism Fellowships, Liberia
Journalists with at least three years experience are invited to apply to join New Narratives as reporting fellows on a range of topics including governance, democracy, human trafficking, gender-based violence, climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land rights. Funding is provided by Swedish International Development Assistance, the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and the American Jewish World Service….
Job Alert: PT Editorial Consultant, Liberia
Job Description Job Title: PT Editorial Consultant Job Location: Monrovia, Liberia Time: 2-3 days a week over four months Remuneration: competitive New Narratives seeks a highly experienced editor to support and mentor our Liberia team in journalism production and project management skills. Deadline: January 31, 2024. To Apply: Send CV, cover letter and links to…
Government Says It Has Cut Poverty but the World Bank Says It’s Rising.
When he took office in 2018 President George Weah promised his government would lift one million Liberians out of poverty by the end of his six year term. Half Liberia’s five million people live below in the poverty line. In January the Weah government declared a victory that surprised many people: it claimed to have…
Sinoe Forest Community Fumes Over Numerous Illegalities by Forestry Development Agency As Lawmaker’s Company Wins Concession
Community members here in Tartweh and Drapoe chiefdoms are fuming over a range of what they claim are violations of Liberian laws by the country’s forest management body the Forestry Development Agency….
Communities Drowning in Trash Furious Over Failed US$3M Waste Management Project – Part Two
In part two of this two-part investigation Anthony Stephens and Tina S. Menhpaine report with New Narratives on the obstacles that doomed a $3m EU-funded waste management project….
Breaking the Chains – After Being Trafficked to Oman a Group of Liberian Women Decided to Take Matters into Their Own Hands
Esther thought she was boarding a flight that would take her to a lucrative job in Dubai. Instead, she landed in Muscat, Oman, where she was beaten and sold into modern-day slavery. This is the incredible story of how Esther, and hundreds of other Liberian women, worked together to free themselves from human trafficking syndicates. …
The EU’s Failed US$3M Bid to Fix Monrovia’s Trash Crisis – part one
In this two-part investigation, Anthony Stephens and Tina S. Menhpaine report with New Narratives on a US$3 million European Union project that was meant to solve Monrovia’s trash crisis….
“Hacks and Hackers: Liberia” – Digital Transformation Workshop for Media and Technologists
Liberia’s media institutions received a major boost when the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia funded a digital revenue workshop with regional pioneers Premium Times aimed at helping media learn to raise independent revenue from online sources and donors. The “Hack and Hackers” Digital Transformation for Newsroom training provided Liberian media and technologists the opportunity to learn and conceive new and innovative products to generate revenue. …
Eric Opa Doue Chief County Correspondent
Eric Opa Doue contested the 2023 Legislative elections for a seat in River Cess County. Before that he was a senior reporter with New Narratives with his journalism appearing in FrontPage Africa, ELBC radio and other radio stations. He has been with New Narratives since 2017. Eric is a an experienced community radio journalist based…
Land Title Authorities Overwhelmed By Disputes following Land Rights Act
Emmanuel Tokpah always wanted a home of his own. The 27-year-old bike rider had saved enough money to begin construction on a house in this village. But his dreams were shattered in July 2016 when a group of men from neighboring Gbonata came and ordered him to stop work. By Mae Azango The men claimed…
Overwhelmed Doctors at StarBase Treatment Unit Plead with People to Believe the Covid-19 is Real
Liberians are facing the latest and most dangerous wave since the Covid-19 pandemic started 15 months ago. This latest wave, caused by the highly infectious Delta variant which entered the country a month ago, has taken dozens of lives including journalists and high-profile personalities. As of July 11, 2021, the National Public Health Institute of…