November 26, 2019  · AMY HECKMAN

For women and girls living in Liberia, life can be difficult. The country ranks 150 out of 159 countries on the gender inequality index (UNDP, 2015), with only 17 percent of girls receiving any secondary-level schooling. A girl in Liberia has limited options when it comes to her future, and 36 percent of girls in Liberia are married before the age of 18. This inequality leads to high rates of abuse and gender-based violence. 

 Nazarene churches in Monrovia saw the need and have worked to meet it. They united to create the Empowering Women with Dignity project as a way to offer women opportunities to improve their economic conditions and affirm and restore their God-given dignity. 

This year’s NCM Christmas Project will provide support for vocational classes to empower women and girls. When you give, you’ll help open the door to new opportunities and create hope for a better future. 

Over the next few posts, we’ll share the stories of women who have benefitted from the program.

Tege and Dedde are learning how to make soap. This may seem like a simple product, but for these women, the skill is already changing their lives. 

Tege (L) and Dedde (R)

 Tege was enrolled in high school but had to drop out after becoming pregnant. Her parents were furious and forced her to leave their home. Without familial support, Tege faced a future of living and caring for her child alone. The costs associated with single parenting were almost overwhelming. With her newfound soapmaking skills, Tege is able to take her products to the local market to sell. She now has enough money to pay for rent and food for her and her child, relieving the most pressing burdens she carried.

Dedde is a single mother of four children. Without marketable skills, Dedde struggled to provide for her children. Things were so difficult at home that one of her daughters regularly ran away for days at a time due to hunger and in search of food. Now Dedde is able to take her children with her to the local market on Saturdays, where she sells liquid soap and other cleaners. She is earning a regular income and has enough to purchase food for her entire family. Her daughter no longer runs away which has greatly reduced Dedde’s stress and worry.

Tege and Dedde have newfound hope for the future. This year’s NCM Christmas Project will provide for more women to train in a new vocation and find the same hope. 

To give to the Christmas Project, visit ncm.org/christmas.