And so…
week three starts. The goal is to learn and analyze the different programs led
by the MoGD with its different internal and external partners. These include EPAG (Economic Empowerment of
Adolescent Girls and Young Women), a 2 year pilot program aiming to increase
employment and income for Liberian women, a Social Cash Transfer scheme that is
arguably successful and is seen as a viable way to 'pull the poorest out of the
poverty trap' (Jeffrey Sachs' 'End of Poverty' flashback).
My goal for the coming weeks is to fit the
current Monitoring and Evaluation Framework being developed at the Ministry at
the moment within these programs and to also assess the internal capacity and
capability gaps within each. Phew! I am still not sure where to start but I
plough my way patiently, through the considerable number of dog ear-marked reports
written by various national and international consultants, i.e. my predecessors
over the years.
(Anyone with experience
with best practice cash transfer programs are welcome to comment/ give
suggestions!)
Weekend update: These
are the last few days of the fishing season. The season runs parallel to the
dry season in Liberia (from late October-early November to late May). And so…we
went fishing in Marshall Islands in Mugubi Country (about two hours drive from
Monrovia). There was a storm the night before and still drizzling in the
morning when we set out. It was a refreshing change from dusty and noisy
Monrovia and be part of the fresh and lush green vegetation and brown red muddy
tracks of Mugubi. The catch of the day and indeed of the season according to
our Lebanese fishing crew was a 115kilo blue marlin that took 30 ms to be
fought in and pulled into the boat. Bloody pictures to follow soon :)
Au revoir from a
stuffy cubicle in the Gender Ministry for now.
P.S. I discovered a
cheaper super-market called Exclusive, owned by the Lebanese with ready-to-eat ‘pav
bhaji’ (Indian street food of spicy mashed veggies with bread). Looks like it’s
going to be dinner tonight!
Pav bhaji: A whiff of India in the streets of Monrovia!
ReplyDeleteJust going through your blog now, glad to know you're enjoying Liberia! I recall many an evening/night spent at Mamba Point (we lived at a cheaper place around the corner), gnawing at their wi-fi to complete assignments for school too! And the Lebanese owners of Exclusive are extremely nice!!
ReplyDeleteHave fun and look forward to reading more soon!