IPNews-Monrovia, Liberia- 21 February 2018 – World Bank Liberia Country Manager, Larisa Leshchenko, has expressed the commitment of the Bank in working collaboratively with the Liberian Government to address issues of youth empowerment and employment through support to social protection programs such as the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP).

The World Bank County Manager said, joblessness and lack of skills for employment amongst youth of Liberia which are paramount concerns to the World Bank. Madam Leshchenko was speaking Friday, February 9, 2018, when she paid a courtesy call on the Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Quiwu Yeke, at his Capitol Hill office in Monrovia.

Speaking during the acquaintance meeting, the Executive Director of LACE, Quiwu Yeke, commended the World Bank for its strong support to skills training and employment programs in Liberia under its funding, through the government.

Mr. Yeke promised to sustain the cordial ties between LACE and the World Bank, and conveyed President George Weah’s message of appreciation to the Bank through its Country Manager, for supporting youth empowerment projects in Liberia. Madam Leshchenko was taken on a guided tour of LACE’s facilities and introduced to project Staff and Managers.

Under a World Bank loan, Liberia is implementing the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP), which is a 5-year social protection intervention aimed at reducing vulnerability and unemployment amongst the young people of Liberia.

The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), is one of three government implementing institutions for the YOP. The Agency is implementing Component-1, which is Household Enterprise (HHE), and Component-2, which is Productive Public Works (PPW). The Youth Opportunities Project is targeting the empowerment of 15,000 young people across the Country.