The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR Monday , SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

News about Lonestar Cell MTN Sponsoring the Training of over 100 Young ladies and committing itself to equal opportunity tops today’s edition of our daily summary.

Other stories captured in the summary include, news about plans by the Japanese government to Construct 282 Low-Cost House Units in Grand Kru as well as Liberia & Japan impending Joint Committee Meeting on Tuesday September 11, 2018

DOMINANT STORY

Lonestar Cell MTN committed to equal opportunity

The Chief Marketing officer of Liberia’s telecommunication giant Lonestar Cell MTN Mr. Manu Rajan says the company remains committed to providing equal opportunity to citizens across the country. “We at Lonestar Cell MTN are so committed to providing citizens especially customers the equal opportunity they deserved,” he said over the weekend. Mr. Rajan’s comments were made at a program marking the certification of 120 females of Ladies in Tech Pre-bootcamp. The 120 females were trained in ICT, particularly in software development. In his keynote address, Mr. Rajan says women empowerment is important in any society, noting that women make about 50% of the world’s population. The LoneStar Cell MTN official says it is in this context that women empowerment, and equal opportunity are essential not only in ICT, but in every field. He indicates that ICT is a key force behind the changes that all are witnessing in the world today, noting that it changes the way people do things in life, New Dawn newspaper reads.

Related Caption:‘Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money Transforming Small Business Owners Lives’(Heritage),‘Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money Transforming Small Business Owner Lives’(FrontPage Africa),

OTHER STORIES  

Liberia & Japan Will Hold a Joint Committee Meeting on Tuesday 

Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Foreign Minister of Liberia in handshake with Tsutomu HIMENO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Japan. The Governments of Liberia and Japan are expected to a Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. The Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) is an annual event that catalogs the Government of Japan’s contributions to Liberia’s social economic development programs that are “Pro-Poor” and to review all milestone achievements by the Government of Liberia as well as the positive impacts of the KR Food Aids Project (rice) and Non-Project Grant Aids (petroleum products) in Liberia. Foreign Minister Findley represent Liberia, while Ambassador HIMENO of Japan will be represent the Government of Japan. Since the inception of the Program in Liberia, the Government of Japan has provided 58,531.13 metric tons of assorted rice and 21,084.64 metric tons of mixed petroleum products, respectively.

It can be recalled in 2008, before the upsurge of the global financial meltdown, Former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf engaged in a bilateral arrangement with the Embassy of Japan near Accra, Ghana, for food aid assistance under the Japanese Oversea Development Assistance (ODA) Program for Africa. The first Exchange of Notes, (E/N), was signed between the Government of Liberia and the Government of Japan on August 18, 2008, and the first consignment of rice weighing 8,612 metric tons arrived March 2009.
As a direct result of the Japanese Grant Commodities monetization in Liberia, a number of economic recovery projects have been funded and executed by the Government Ministries
and Agencies, the New Dawn newspaper reads.

Related Caption:Liberian, Japan Hold A Joint Committee Meeting Tomorrow(Heritage)

MOE OutLines Achievements

According to the In Profile Monday daily, the Ministry of Education has outlined its achievements such as swift actions currently undertaken as part of its work in transforming the sector. A statement says, in few months under Prof. Dr. Ansu D. Sonii,Sr, the ministry has relishing donor funding opportunities to the benefit of education sector, in line with  the governments pro poor Agenda. The Ministry says it remains determined without any excuse to tackle the challenges facing the sector. The have been several initiatives already implemented that are geared towards improving the learning environment, student outcomes, school assessment and monitoring and Evaluation the  statement indicated.

Related Caption: Education Ministry Continues On Path To Transforming The Educational Sector(Heritage)

Liberia 1-1 DR Congo…Coach Kojo Attributes Draw to ‘Lack of Concentration

National team head coach Thomas Kojo has attributed the Lone Star’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the Group G Africa Cup of Nations qualifier to the lack of concentration among players in the final quarter of the match. The match, which was played at a crowded Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, was the country’s second match in the qualifiers witnessed by football legend, President George Weah, who came from China just in time for the match. President Weah’s presence for the full 90 minutes did not inspire Lone Star’s players to perform the miracle that would have secured a vital three points. DR Congo’s Elia Meschak came off the bench in the 56 minute to help rescue a point for the Leopards, after slotting home the equalizer in the 82 minute to cancel William Jebor’s opener. Jebor, who was on Saturday named the new captain of the national team, put the host in front in the 62 minute after he brilliantly did a U-turn and fired home an assist from South African-based Anthony Laffor, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.

Japan To Construct 282 Low-Cost House Units In Grand Kru

 The Government of Japan is considering funding the construction of 282 low-cost housing units in Sasstown, Grand Kru County to be rented out at a very minimum cost, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said. In addition to this nation’s economic recovery projects that this Asian nation is contribution to, they are also considering the construction of a new Gorbachev Market in the Omega Community area at a proposed cost of US$4.2M, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Kokarleh Cassava Processing Hub in Todee District Promotes Farmers’ Income

A story in the Daily Observer newspaper reads that Cassava producers in Sackie Town and its nearby communities in Todee District, rural Montserrado, in the past struggled to market their raw cassava tubers. Farmers many times found it difficult to transport their produce at the Red-light Commercial district as fares are high and retailers usually buy commodities at low prices, which limits the farmers’ income. With the existence of the Korkarleh cassava processing hub, farmers in the district now have the opportunity to sell their cassava and earn a better profit. The facility, which is equipped with various cassava processing equipment, was constructed in January 2018 by EDUCARE, with funding from the United States African Development Fund (USADF). The initiative is aimed at creating processing opportunities for farmers to increase income and improve food security.

Another Canoe Capsizes Near Harbel but Life Jackets Donated by Rep. Tarwonpeh saves All 12 on Board

Another canoe has capsized near the collapsed Du River Bridge along the 15 Gate – Harbel route. The canoe had 12 persons, including two operators, on board, but this time all survived the incident. Speaking in an interview with the Liberia News Agency (LINA) in Bondiway, in Firestone, Acee Tweh, a correction officer who was among those that survived the incident, said they went to Harbel to attend to their individual businesses and were returning home late Wednesday evening when the canoe capsized. “We got to the crossing point very late that evening, at about 7:30 PM and immediately launched an appeal to the operator of the canoe to cross us. He was very reluctant, owing to the fact that it was very dark and there was no light to see,” Miss Tweh explained. She also said that when they boarded the canoe and tried to cross the river, they found it difficult due to the high current of the water. The operator lost control of the canoe, and it collided with a very big stick in the middle of the water, causing it to turn over with them, the Daily Observer news daily writes.

MOH, Partners Battles Material, Infant Deaths

The In ProfileMonday daily states,Until Further innovations in few years ago ,health authorities has focused on building medical facilities and equipping them addressing maternal and new born  mortality death rate. With millions of dollars pumped into this component of the health sector maternal mortality rate had continued high in Liberia. But one area that focus was closeness of pregnant women and young baby mothers to  medical facilities …it was realized that home deliveries, coupled with difficulty in access to health facilities, were some of the major causes of maternal mortality. Not only difficulty in a access was experienced, the lack of trained birth attendants and safe environment had also contributed. It was in this direction and in implementing the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #3, the Liberian government and its partners with assistance from communities, embarked on the construction of maternal waiting homes (MWHs) across the country….Questions arose as to whether the availability of the maternal homes was importuning in reducing maternal mortality rate, challenges and what are the indicators partners can improve on. To address these issues, the Ministry of  Health, in  Collaboration with  international charity Africare and the University of Michigan , USA, on Friday September 7, 2018 held a stakeholders forum on assessment report of the maternal waiting homes across Liberia.

Mitigating Maternal Mortality

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, Liberia’s Ministry of Health and its partners have stressed the need to render more support to reducing the high maternal mortality rate in the country. Speaking at the launch of an assessment report on the importance of maternal waiting homes in Liberia, the Acting Minister of Health, Norwu Howard called for a concentrated effort in the fight against maternal mortality in the country. The study, entitled Strengthening the Evidence on Maternal Waiting Homes: An Assessment of 100­ + Homes in Liberia was conducted by Africare and the University of Michigan in partnership with the Ministry of Health and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.