Winning Together

 MUNAH KN GBOE:  A SHERO THAT BELIEVES WOMANHOOD IS  SUPPORTING OTHER WOMEN TO RISE UP.

It is International Women's Day and we are celebrating  women in leadership. 

We raise our voice to cheer on women that have used their stories, positions and skills to ignite a fire for change in their spheres of influence. 

We take you on a beautiful journey to Liberia on the West African coast  to meet Munah KN Gboe.

  

 Munah KN Gboe is an Electronics Engineer  from Liberia. She is passionate about the growth of young women and girls . Through her Girls Vocational Initiative, Munah is improving the livelihoods of Liberian women and girls by equipping them vocational skills.

Munah Gboe in her own words, be uplifted as you read:

While serving as vice president for the Martha Tubman United Methodist Church Young Adult Fellowship,  I had the privilege of working with a vibrant young women network.

These women were completely immersed into the program. Together they solicited for funds to run the program better, they taught each other how to creatively make and design attractive bags and shoes. 

 The fellowship was a very revealing time for me. I appreciated the values of diversity and teamwork. By the time the one week climaxed, I was  pondering on the thought of establishing an organization that would develop and empower our mothers and sisters to be self-supportive and innovative.

My memories are so vivid, I sat on that office chair that evening and said, "Munah you are starting an organization...but how? without the money. I asked myself.  Skill training was all I could offer, I shared the idea with a close friend who raised my hopes so high.

Munah, "you do not have to start big" , My friend said.  All you need is to "have  a clear understanding of what you want to do and find  passionate people to work along with you" She added.

I saw meaning in every word she spoke,  I took the bold step and started. 

I cannot say the beginning was easy, it was really hard. Having an idea with no finances to support it was worrying and devastating.

  I  walked on streets asking car drivers, kekeh riders and motorcyclists to allow my small team by then to wash their cars and motorcycles at any amount so as to raise funds to skill young women and girls at no cost.  The public was so receptive, we washed countless cars, kekehs and motorcyles. We even raised more than our initial goal. The community leaders in Paynesville city helped us mobilize girls for out first batch training.  

It is now a year and a couple of months since the Girls Vocational Initiative was born.

 

In a such a short span of time, we have had tremendous influence on the women.. Munah says.

Over one hundred women have acquired skills in  Pastry Art & Catering, Cake Decoration, handicraft, Soap making, Facial Makeup, Hairdressing, and Event Decoration. 

Our first batch began in early December 2019 and ended in February of 2020. We enrolled thirty women who have now become masters at Pastry and Handicraft. Munah adds.

Our second batch of thirty-five young women and girls in the White House Community, Du-port Road have successfully finished their training and have used the skills learnt to establish their own online businesses.

 One of our students called Naomi Williams from the handicraft Batch 2 class runs Nao’s Crochet Design, a growing online business.  Naomi is now an emerging entrepreneur generating her income from the knitting skill.

          Naomi Williams with her products

Fifteen of the young women and girls are running their own businesses and earning more than 3,000 Liberian dollars weekly,  This money is helping them feed their  households of five people and to also cater for other needs.

We are currently training forty-five young women and girls in our batch-3 program in Monrovia, Liberia, and our second branch is in Bong County, which is referred to as the Center of Liberia.

Munah revealed  " the girls we pick from the streets do not pay any fees to get skills, however we charge twenty dollars to financially able women and girls to receive training for three months.

Munah is still on her journey, and each passing day she continues to discover her own truths. 

She says, "start with the little that you have and you will see how much fruit you will reap. 

If you have a passion for helping others, begin one person at a time, do not wait for back up, the extra help will join you along the way.  Every organization has its own success story, oh my! What a joy it is sharing every milestone you have moved to  inspire others, so why not take that one step? Start from where your passion springs forth.

 To every leader, out there, believe in yourself and your team, respect them regardless of age because at the end of the day they all have something unique to offer as you work towards impacting more lives.

When we asked Munah her definition of being a woman leader,  this was her response.

Being a woman leader is about being persistent. I never give up on my dreams, Even when storms come, I keep moving forward until I  have achieved the goal.

Women leadership  means being the best version of myself and using my story or any privilege I have been blessed  with to support other women.

I am extremely glad to share a message for women on this day, 8th of March 2021. As we celebrate,   let us be reminded that the journey does not end from here.

We should be our sisters keepers,  learning to develop and teach one another all the necessary skills needed to build each of us up;.  If the world will get better, no woman should be excluded. 

I leave you with a beautiful quote from Madam Leymah Gbowee.

 “It is time for us to own our issues, we must own our agenda, we must own our narrative, the struggle for equality is a long way ahead, but with young women on our side, we can surely win”.

 And definitely, we can win, happy international women’s day to you all-powerful women.

Cheers to the strong women making Impact.