The grandmother’s fight for justice exposes the paralysis of Liberia’s judicial system: despite hundreds of reported cases of rape, only two convictions have been secured in six years. Survivors are left without justice, while perpetrators walk free, eroding public trust and leaving families devastated. Tetee Gebro reports in this social media Video. To read more…
Liberia’s Empty Harvest: How Gambling Is Draining the Labor from Rural Farms
The story highlights how gambling is pulling young men away from Liberia’s rural farms, leaving fields untended and harvests diminished. Many farmers complain that instead of working, laborers spend their days at betting shops, chasing quick wins. This shift drains vital manpower from agriculture, undermines food production, and deepens poverty in communities that depend on…
Grandmother’s Rape Case Shows a Paralyzed Justice System Where Just Two Convictions Have Been Won in Six Years and Rapists Walk Free
By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary: TODEE DISTRICT, Montserrado County — The first time they came, they brought L$18,000 (US$100). The second time the family brought a lapa, a traditional cloth. When the family, whose 24-year-old son had been accused by multiple witnesses of raping the 57-year-old grandmother in broad daylight in front…
“We Have Had So Many Dialogues.” Women Ask Why Their Needs Remain Unsolved
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary Liberian women said they are tired of explaining their problems. After years of consultations, meetings, and promises, many of the 160 respondents to a new nationwide consultation across Liberia’s 15 counties said the country’s leaders already know what they need: affordable healthcare, better roads, support for…
Court Hands Down Longest-Ever 50-Year Prison Terms in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Case, Awards US$120,000 in Restitution to Victims
“The defendants deceived their victims, recruited them, harbored them, exploited them, sexually abused them and took money from them as registration fees,” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie said during his more than two-hour reading of a 36-page judgment. “These are all critical elements of trafficking in persons. And it is the considered judgment of this court…
Court Hands Down Longest-Ever 50-Year Prison Terms in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Case, Awards US$120,000 in Restitution to Victims
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A Liberian court awarded US$120,000 in restitution to victims and imposed the country’s longest-ever human trafficking sentences, sentencing eight defendants to 50 years and three others to 20 in Liberia’s largest trafficking case. The court ordered banks and telecommunications companies to identify and freeze assets belonging…
Cleaner air, lower costs: Electric bikes find early adopters in Ghana’s north
“Now I don’t inhale the smoke anymore,” Rahinatu says with a smile. “The ride is quieter, and I feel better.” Rahinatu is part of a small but growing shift in Bawku, where electric bikes are gradually changing how people experience their daily journeys. Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen reports in this social media Video. To read more about…
As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo
Liberia’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition has spent five years shifting public attitudes, training young people, and building support for reproductive health. Despite these achievements, the coalition’s central demand—the inclusion of abortion access in the stalled Public Health Bill—remains unresolved due to Senate delays, leaving women vulnerable and pushing activists to call for stronger local…
As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Five years ago, organizations working on sexual and reproductive health across Liberia reached the same conclusion: acting alone was not enough. With funding from the Swedish government, they formed the Amplifying Rights Network, a coalition that has since trained community leaders, mobilized thousands of citizens, and…
When Domestic Violence Destroys a Family, Innocent Children Pay The Price
When domestic violence ends in death, and a suspect is taken into custody, the case often movesto court and out of public view. But the children are left behind—without care or support. In this collaboration with New Narratives, gender correspondent Joyclyn Wea reports from rural Montserrado County. This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as…
Liberia Goes Solar: Power Is Reaching More Liberians as a Record Number of Panels Enter the Country, but Experts Warn Access Challenges Remain
Liberia is experiencing a surge in solar energy adoption, with a record number of panels entering the country. This expansion is helping more households and businesses gain access to electricity, particularly in rural areas where the national grid is limited. However, experts caution that challenges remain, including affordability, maintenance, and ensuring equitable distribution of solar…
Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants
A 12-member jury in Monrovia has unanimously convicted eight defendants in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, finding them guilty of trafficking 57 victims after just 23 minutes of deliberation. The case, which involved harrowing testimony of beatings, torture, rape, and financial exploitation, was seen as a landmark test of Liberia’s justice system amid allegations of…
Liberia Goes Solar: Power Is Reaching More Liberians as a Record Number of Panels Enter the Country, but Experts Warn Access Challenges Remain
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary Every morning before sunrise, Karrus Hayes loads a pickup truck in Paynesville and points it toward the interior. The road to Bapolu County is long. The road to Sinoe is longer. But he goes to those rural counties anyway because people there are waiting…
Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants: Outcome seen as measure of justice system under international scrutiny for bribery allegations
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Jurors hearing Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial on Monday unanimously found the remaining defendants guilty, bringing to a close a nearly month-long trial marked by emotional testimony from victims and fierce legal battles between prosecutors and defense lawyers. The 12-member jury returned its verdict after just…
Breaking News: Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants
Outcome seen as measure of justice system under international scrutiny for bribery allegations By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants A jury convicted all eight defendants on all charges Monday in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, delivering a unanimous verdict after roughly 20…
As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny
Liberia’s new five‑year, US$124 million health compact with the U.S. is drawing sharp scrutiny as other African nations reject similar deals over concerns about data sovereignty, specimen sharing, and funding obligations. Civil society groups warn that the agreement could give U.S. entities long‑term access to sensitive health information without adequate safeguards, while shifting financial burdens…
Emergency Childbirth Fees Push Poor Families To Fundraise During Labor, Leading to Deaths
For most families, the birth of a child is a moment of joy and anticipation. But when complications arise, that joy can quickly turn into tragedy.Across Liberia, patients and health workers say the inability to pay emergency care costs are leading to death and injury for mothers and babies.As Fatu Kamara reports in this collaboration…
As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Ghana has become the third African country to reject a proposed U.S. health agreement, with government officials saying the deal would have given U.S. entities broad access to sensitive national health data, including metadata and analytical tools, without sufficient safeguards or prior approval. The deal included provisions that…
State Closes Case After Subpoenaed Witnesses Say Company Linked to Accused Traffickers Is Not Tax Compliant; Final Arguments and Ruling Set for Monday
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Prosecutors rested after calling three subpoenaed government witnesses to challenge key claims made by the defense. Witnesses testified that Infinity Millennium was registered with the government but had not paid taxes or declared income, and that QNet was not registered to import pharmaceutical products into Liberia….
Female Electric Kehkeh Drivers Are Breaking Barriers and Fighting Air Pollution
“Sherman’s journey reflects a broader shift taking place on Monrovia’s streets. A small but growing group of women is entering Liberia’s male-dominated transport sector through a fleet of electric kehkehs. The vehicles are helping Liberia address two persistent challenges: limited economic opportunities for women and worsening air pollution from thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles. For the…
Ex-President Sirleaf Backs Specialized Anti-Corruption Court, Urges Boakai to Address “the Several Scandals That Plague the Society”
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s and Africa’s first democratically elected female president, on Wednesday urged President Joseph Boakai to intensify the fight against corruption, calling on him to address what she described as “the several scandals that plague the society” while backing the creation of a Specialized National…