BRAC | Liberia

BRAC began its journey in Liberia in 2008. Since then, BRAC Liberia has driven change in agriculture, education, health, and microfinance. Liberia has a population of about 5.7 million people. The country is still recovering from two civil wars that destroyed roads, buildings, and basic services.

Today, the extreme poverty rate in Liberia is about 33%, meaning that nearly 2 million people live on less than $3 per day. Many families struggle to access quality education and healthcare. Farming is the main source of income for most Liberians. This makes many people vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. With the right tools and support, women and families in Liberia are forging a pathway out of poverty.

Our Impact

101,449

microfinance borrowers across 55 branches in Liberia

96k

participants equipped with climate-smart farming tools, small business support, and training

15,879

girls and young women learned life skills, and gained confidence and knowledge to start their entrepreneurial journeys.

Be strong like me. Let my story be your example.”

Fatu

Our Stories

How Ezekiel uses his farming business to sow knowledge

Ezekiel is a farmer and father of nine. He started out selling fertilizer from a wheelbarrow. After joining BRAC Liberia’s agro-entrepreneur program, Ezekiel gained business skills, start-up capital, and confidence. Today, he runs a thriving agricultural business. He pays it forward by teaching his customers how to boost their own harvests.

I don’t just sell fertilizers to farmers; I teach them all that I know." -Ezekiel

How Ezekiel uses his farming business to sow knowledge
Fatu’s journey from forest paths to flourishing fields

Fatu once walked through forests and waded across rough water just to reach her farmland. With support from BRAC Liberia, she more than doubled her land, hired help, and planted a wider variety of crops. Now, Fridays are Fatu’s favourite—that’s when local women traders arrive to harvest vegetables and return the following day with payment. With her earnings, Fatu saves and sends her children to school. She also opened a new shop and is expanding her home.

Be strong like me. Let my story be your example." -Fatu

Fatu’s journey from forest paths to flourishing fields
Patience is leading the way for other farmers in Liberia

Patience is a farmer and mother of three. She is part of a thriving agricultural cooperative supported by BRAC Liberia. Patience oversees 20 other farmers who work together to share knowledge and grow more food. Patience is the sole provider in her household of 13 family members. Though she had to drop out of school in ninth grade, she now sends her children to school and is dreaming big for their future.

The money I earn not only helps me feed my children, but I now send them to school." -Patience

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Patience is leading the way for other farmers in Liberia

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Our Work

Agriculture & Food Security

When farmers thrive, so do communities.

BRAC helps farmers in Liberia grow more food and earn more income. We train them in climate-smart farming, raising animals, and managing crops after harvest. Participants, who are primarily women and young people, also learn about financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

Farmers can access tools, seeds, livestock, and feed. We also connect participants to local markets. When farmers are supported, they can increase food security and build a more resilient food system in their own communities.

Ultra-Poor Graduation & Livelihoods

A proven pathway out of extreme poverty.

BRAC’s flagship Ultra-Poor Graduation approach is a globally recognized and widely adopted solution proven to break the poverty trap. Graduation enables people to build a long-term trajectory out of extreme poverty. It uses a time-bound package of sequenced interventions. This combines a large investment in income-generating activities, basic needs support, and ongoing, intensive coaching. In Liberia, 85% of participants from more than 750 households have graduated out of extreme poverty.

Youth Empowerment

Setting the stage for the next generation of leaders.

BRAC Liberia’s work with young people combines social and economic empowerment with education, ensuring that girls and women reach their full potential.

Through safe, mentor-led clubs, girls gain life skills, learn how to think critically, and build confidence. They also receive vocational training, startup kits, and support to start small businesses of their own. They are also equipped with the skills needed to better navigate the challenges that may affect their lives. Sports and games are also a part of the experience, helping girls strengthen their teamwork skills.

Throughout the process, we also work closely with parents, communities, local partners, and governments, to create solutions to the challenges they face. For over 15 years, this approach has helped girls and young women take charge of their futures.

Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM)

Confident girls grow up to be bold women who transform their own lives and communities.

The Mastercard Foundation Accelerating Impact for Young Women in Partnership with BRAC (AIM) program in Liberia is equipping 161,500 adolescent girls and young women with age-appropriate entrepreneurship, employability, and life-skills training, as well as the tools to start and scale their own businesses.

The five-year program will operate across seven African countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Kenya. It applies BRAC’s globally-recognized, evidence-based approaches using microfinance, youth empowerment, agriculture, and skills development to improve lives and livelihoods.

Education

Scaling quality, inclusive, and joyful learning for all.

BRAC’s education programs in Liberia prioritize joyful learning and engaging approaches. Our community-driven network includes pre-primary, primary, and secondary levels. This includes accelerated learning for students who have dropped out or never attended school.

We also support the Liberian government with teacher training, mentoring, and curriculum development. Our activity-based teaching methods help ensure that children have a positive experience with learning at every grade level.

Nutrition and WASH

Bringing critical care to the last mile.

BRAC works with the Liberian government to deliver essential health services to communities through our network of community health promoters. This includes access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)—critical to public health. We focus on care for mothers and children, family planning, and preventing diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. During health emergencies like Ebola and COVID-19, our teams also help with emergency response.

Microfinance

Unlocking the entrepreneurial spirit of women.

BRAC Liberia Microfinance Company Limited is the largest microfinance provider in the country. We provide responsible financial services to people who are excluded from the mainstream financial system, particularly focusing on women living in poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the country.

Our core credit products include group-based microloans provided exclusively to women, small enterprise loans, and agrifinance loans for rural small-holder farmers. We complement our services with financial and digital literacy training, empowering clients to make informed decisions and manage their finances better.

In all our endeavors, we adhere to the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management and the Client Protection Principles. This places clients’ well-being at the center of everything we do to achieve our mission

Access to financial services is a core part of BRAC’s holistic approach to development, complementing its social programs to drive sustainable change and support people to lift themselves out of poverty.

Liberia

Liberia is known for its natural beauty and strong cultural traditions. Most people make a living through farming, and agriculture drives the economy. Mining for iron ore and gold is also a large part of the economy.

Today, Liberia is still recovering from devastating civil wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. Many people struggle to access quality healthcare and education. Others struggle with food insecurity and the impacts of climate change. But with the right support and opportunities, women in Liberia can build a stronger future for all.

Latest news

A farm of her own: The potential of locally-led agricultural cooperatives in Liberia

Blog

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“Always say positive things about your life” - Aletha

After losing her husband in a car accident, Aletha stepped up to support her family by launching her own business. She is now running a successful shop, paying her son’s school fees, and creating a more resilient future for herself and her community. Watch to find out how Aletha did it.