Zwedru: Fast Track MDGs’ Goals

A two-day awareness & capacity building workshop aim at formulating the millennium development goals based on district development plans ends  Dec. 10, 2010 in Zwedru, with a call on authorities to fast track the attainment of the MDGs goals.

The two days exercise was organized by the Ministries of Internal Affairs & Planning & Economic Affairs with support from the UNDP & UNCDF. The workshop focused on the explanation of the MDGs in the simplest terms & its links with Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).

Salome G. Gofan, Executive Director for Rural Integrated Center for Community Empowerment (RICCE) said Liberia has made some strides in realizing the MDGs, but that the nation still needs to improve on the 3rd & 4th targets of the MDGs.

She said the country needs more nurses & doctors to reduce child mortality & improve maternal health. She also challenged the local authorities of rural Liberia to play their roles well in attaining the MDGs. She called on Liberians to embrace gender equity in developing all sectors of the country.

‘If Liberians should feel the impact of the MDGs in the next five years, the women & even the girls must be allowed to play their roles,” Madam Gofan said.

For his part, the Acting Development Superintendent of Sinoe and head of civil society organizations in River Gee said it is important that the MDGs be localized if Liberia should graduate from extreme poverty.

Mr. Abel Doe & Michael Konneh pledged the government & citizens’ commitment in realizing the set of eight goals.

Meanwhile, Nyonbior Seoh, Development Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County has disclosed that there are plans to have the roads leading to the county pave in in 2011.  The workshop brought together over 50 participants from government & civil organizations from Sinoe & River Gee Counties.