Liberia's Foreign Minister Augustine K Ngafuan has extolled the Administration of the "Be the Change Academy" located in Paynesville outside Monrovia for taking a bold step to launch a project that will create jobs and empower young women in Liberia.

Minister Ngfuan was speaking on Wednesday, October 30, 20 when he made Special Remarks at the official launching ceremony of the “Be the Change Academy,”   a Young Women’s Job Creation Project aimed at empowering and improving the capacity of young Liberian women so as to improve their skills to contribute to the nation’s rebuilding process. 

The “Be the Change Academy” project which sole responsibility is to create jobs for young Liberian women is a newly established empowerment program situated at the youth crime watch of  Liberia’s young women empowerment center in Paynesville  outside Monrovia. 
He applauded the organizers of the program and expressed confidence that the project will impact the lives of the ordinary people who he said will make extraordinary contributions to the rebuilding efforts of Liberia especially young women.

While commenting on recent mob attacks and violence taking place across Liberia by Liberian youths, the Minister attributed it to the lack of job opportunities which are critical to the survival of the nation.

He stressed every time there is a violence around us, it all reflect what he called a “bigger brother” joblessness, employment etc, adding “when you go to the code of the issue, you find out that the code issues of joblessness, employment, in our part of the world and government is always expected to do its part of the bargaining and our side, we are trying to do so, but we have to be the first to confess that the challenge is enormous that requires multi state holder approach from multiple fronts and this approach is very simple but very creative and is something that we must love, and I think the last time when we met I told you that you will have my unflagging support in this efforts to make this program expand within the limits of my power, please let me know and will play my part, the minister told the organizers of the program.

“Today that we can see this effort impacting the lives of ordinary people who will make extraordinary contributions to the forward march of this country, I think we need to lift great thanks to them and all the other people that have helped them to reach this far” Minister Ngafuan remarked.

Reflecting on recent talks with the Secretary General of the Mano River  Union,  Madam Sara Daraba on the  initiatives taken to bring members of the Union together aimed at  fostering  unity and bring about infrastructural  development in various sectors in the region,  the Liberian Foreign Minister noted that he was extremely delighted to see  young people of Liberia  partnering to take initiative aimed at impacting the lives of ordinary young people of  the region.

“let me say that you all deserve tongues  of congratulations and “I can assure you that whenever I meet my counterparts, I will express to them the good work I have seen with this partnership and that they themselves too must take you very seriously in your countries” the Minister said. 

While expressing gratitude and joy over the project, the minister paid a special tribute to Mr. David Woollcombe of Peace Child International, who left his country to come to this part of the world to promote women empowerment adding “You did not have to do it but you have done it.

Whether you are a Liberian, American, European, or what have you, when there is a need somewhere let those needs transcend beyond races, tribes and ethnicity and that you could come from your part of the world, to bring that light in this our part of the world special thanks to our brothers from Europe. He remarked.

The Dean of the Liberian Cabinet said he was particularly grateful to project organizers for the brilliant initiative adding the group is putting on the front burner to tackle the critical issues of joblessness in Liberia.