Marketers plead for microfinance program

Marketers at the Bible College community in Brewerville are appealing to Government to establish a microfinance scheme there that would enable them to boost their businesses and send their children to school.

One of the marketers, Madam Agatha Fahnbulleh, told this paper in an exclusive interview that she sells sugar caine to earn a living, but there is no profit to enable her to send her children to school or better still, even to feed the home.

She said Government should be able to assist them with finances so that they can start businesses and refund the money. “We are doing from hand to mouth business; no profit in what we sell to enable us send our children to school; we are begging the Government to please give us loan so that we can stand on our feet”, Madam Fahnbulleh pleaded.

Another marketer, Ma Martha Saryenneh, who sells pepper, bitter balls, and palm nut, said she has no husband and her business is not going well. She said if the Government of Liberia were to invest in the market with a loan, she will be able to send her children to school.

She advised children to stop following friends based on peer pressure to engage in negative acts, which she noted is spoiling Liberian children. Ma Martha said parents should also stop using their children as breadwinners.

She stressed that it is better for parents to go sell than to send their small children in the streets to sell, which exposes them to lots of unforeseen dangers such as accidents, rape or other forms of violence. 17-year-old Zinnah Swaray, who also sells sugar caine, has a 3-year-old kid. Zinnah says she wants to continue her Education because she is a 7th grade dropout and there is no support.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Edited by Jonathan Browne