Mano River Union Launches Plan to Build Inclusive Business Ecosystems | African Development Bank

On October 21, 2022, the African Development Bank and the Mano River Union Secretariat hosted an event to launch the Project to Build Inclusive Business Ecosystems for Stabilization and Transformation in the Mano River Union (BI-BEST) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Launching the $4.25 million project, Sierra Leone’s Gender and Children’s Minister Manty Tarawalli praised the African Development Bank for what she said was a “well-thought-out” initiative to support women’s economic empowerment.

She said the project would empower women cross-border traders and promote economic development and regional integration within the Mano River Union.

Minister Tarawalli noted that the project was timely as it would aid Liberia and Sierra Leone in their efforts to mitigate the impact of the current global economic challenges on their populations.

Isata Kamara, Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and representative of Liberia’s Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, attended the event. Other participants included representatives from development partners, Joint Border Protection Units, the Mano River Women’s Peace Network and women cross-border traffickers.

BI-BEST is expected to positively impact nearly 1,500 female traders at two border points: Koindu-Foya in Liberia and Jendema-Bo Waterside in Sierra Leone. The project will run until 2025 and will provide women cross-border traders with gender-sensitive capacity building, access to finance and help to connect to more profitable markets. Accordingly, at least 1,200 women traders expected to report new or improved opportunities to increase their income and improve the quality of their jobs.

The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Mano River Union Secretariat and business support organizations to better empower women traders to foster resilient economies and peaceful communities.

Ambassador Medina Wesseh, Secretary General of the Mano River Union, and Halima Hashi, the Country Manager of the African Development Bank for Sierra Leone, recognized the convening power of the bank to build strong partnerships and fund initiatives at the cutting edge of gender equality, building resilience and developing entrepreneurship.

Hashi stressed the need to minimize delays during the implementation phase to ensure maximum benefits for women. “Project delays lead to increased costs and delayed benefits to the target audience,” she said.

The BI-BEST project is managed by the Gender and Women’s Empowerment Department of the African Development Bank.

Click here to read more about the project.

^{By Charleine MBUYI LUSAMBA, Task Manager & Hoda Tarek, Gender and Development Expert}