QUEENIE-1 TOWN, Bomi County — Residents of Queenie-1 Town in Suehn Mecca District, Bomi County, are expanding rice production and investing in processing equipment under the Government of Liberia’s Rural Economic Transformation Project (REALISE), as they seek to increase household incomes, reduce post-harvest challenges, and strengthen their livelihoods.
By Patience M. Jones,patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com
The community has cultivated 39 acres of rice, exceeding its initial target of 35 acres, and established an operational rice mill intended to ease the burden of traditional processing, particularly for women, while creating opportunities to generate additional income.
The progress was highlighted during a joint field visit by representatives of the REALISE Project and the Liberia Women’s Employment Project, both financed by the World Bank.
For residents, the intervention combines agricultural support, practical training, financial assistance, and a community-selected development project aimed at improving local economic opportunities.
According to project officials, 33 people are directly involved in the intervention, including 28 beneficiaries organized into a Livelihood Agriculture Support group and five members of a Community Oversight Committee. The farming group comprises 14 men and 14 women.
Anita Marshall, Deputy Project Coordinator for Economic Inclusion at REALISE, commended the beneficiaries for exceeding their cultivation target, describing their achievement as evidence of community commitment and ownership.
Marshall explained that the project provides agricultural inputs, financial support, mobile technology, life-skills training, and climate-smart agriculture to help rural residents improve productivity and develop sustainable sources of income.
The farming group received US$1,680 in agricultural input support, while the community received US$1,800 to finance a development project of its choice.
Community Chooses Rice Mill
Rather than investing the community development grant in a bridge or pond, residents decided to purchase a rice-processing machine after consultations on their most pressing needs.
Varmah Dorley, a representative of the Community Oversight Committee, said the community prioritized the rice mill because residents, particularly women, had long struggled with the time and physical effort required to pound rice manually.
Following the consultations, residents purchased the machine and constructed a shelter to house it. The facility is now operational and is expected to serve Queenie-1 Town and surrounding villages.
The mill is intended to improve processing efficiency, reduce the burden of manual labor, and create opportunities for the community to earn income by providing milling services.
Dorley said residents were also considering reinvesting proceeds from their activities in larger agricultural machinery to expand production.
However, the amount of revenue generated by the mill and the timeline for acquiring additional equipment remain to be established.
The community’s ability to maintain the machine, manage its operating costs, and account for any revenue will be important to ensuring that the investment continues to benefit residents beyond the project’s direct support.
Women Build Businesses Through Project Support
Beyond collective rice farming, some beneficiaries are using the assistance to establish small businesses and meet household expenses.
Harrietta Sirleaf, a beneficiary, said the support enabled her to invest in goods for resale, including fish and other market products.
She travels between towns and communities to sell her goods, using the proceeds to support her children and meet other family needs.
Sirleaf also credited the project’s financial management training with improving her understanding of saving, spending, and reinvesting earnings.
She said the training had encouraged her to make more deliberate financial decisions and plan for future expenses rather than immediately spending all her earnings.
She expressed appreciation to the Government of Liberia and the World Bank for the assistance, adding that the opportunity had helped her contribute to her children’s education and household welfare.
Sirleaf called for continued support to enable beneficiaries to strengthen their businesses and improve their economic independence.
Farmers Adopt Improved Agricultural Practices
Beneficiaries also said training provided under the REALISE intervention had improved their understanding of farming and crop management.
Amar Sirgon, another beneficiary, explained that farming had previously been difficult because community members lacked adequate knowledge of land preparation, planting schedules, and effective crop management.
Through the project, beneficiaries received life-skills and climate-smart agriculture training intended to improve production and promote sustainable farming practices.
The training covered appropriate planting periods, farmland preparation, and weed management.
Beneficiaries said they were applying the knowledge to the collective rice farm and their individual gardens, where they cultivate cucumber, pumpkin, pepper, and other crops for household consumption and sale.
The additional production is helping some households meet food needs, generate income, and contribute to school expenses.
The project also aims to connect beneficiary farmers with farmer-based organizations and market actors to improve access to buyers. Such connections are important because increased production does not automatically translate into higher incomes without reliable markets.
Us$42 Million Project Targets 14 Counties
The intervention in Queenie-1 Town forms part of REALISE, which has a total financing portfolio of US$42 million, comprising US$30 million from the World Bank, US$9.5 million from the French Government, and US$2.5 million from the Swedish Government.
The project operates in 14 of Liberia’s 15 counties, excluding Maryland, through components targeting agriculture, social protection, small businesses, and employment.
Its agriculture component operates in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Gbarpolu, and Sinoe counties.
The Social Cash Transfer component covers River Gee, River Cess, Grand Bassa, and Grand Kru counties, while the Small Business Support and Labor-Intensive Public Works components operate in Montserrado and Margibi counties.
In Queenie-1 Town, the project also provides mobile phones and mobile-money SIM cards to beneficiaries and committee members to facilitate payments and support participation in the initiative.
Each of the 28 farming beneficiaries is entitled to a US$350 labor subsidy. Project representatives indicated that outstanding payments were expected to be completed before December 2026, with funds transferred through registered mobile-money accounts.
Sustainability Remains A Key Test
Despite the reported progress, sustaining the community’s gains will depend on continued cooperation, financial accountability, and reliable market access.
Beneficiaries have discussed dividing proceeds from their collective activities among savings, individual business investments, and community initiatives. Residents are also considering expanding agricultural production, including cultivating cassava during the next farming cycle.
These plans reflect an effort to move beyond short-term assistance toward activities that can support future investments and household incomes.
However, the long-term impact will depend on whether farmers can maintain their equipment, secure agricultural inputs, sell their produce at viable prices, and continue operating their businesses after external assistance ends.
For Queenie-1 Town, the immediate priorities are to complete the rice harvest, strengthen market connections, and develop a sustainable system for managing the community rice mill.
The intervention demonstrates how agricultural inputs, practical training, financial assistance, and community-led investments can support rural livelihoods.
Whether these early gains translate into lasting economic improvements will ultimately depend on the community’s ability to turn increased production and shared assets into consistent income and sustainable opportunities.