WONGOSOL Trains Local Leaders

-Ends Three Days Training

By Esau J. Farr

In an effort to build future local leaders, the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia, WONGOSOL with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and OXFAM has ended a three day capacity building workshop in Monrovia.

The training which was held under the theme, “Building Local Leaders Capacity” brought together dozens of young women and girls from different backgrounds and organizations in Monrovia and its environs.

The participants were taught in the areas of knowing the steps in advocacy and the way in finding solution to identified problems.

Some of the steps were being able to identify existing problems which affect women and girls when it comes to playing lead roles both in the Public and Private Sectors and how to raise awareness.

The participants were cautioned to be concise or straight to the point with their point of concern or advocacy with the necessary or concerned stakeholders so as to enable duty bearers to understand the clear message being sent out for solution.

At the end of the training, participants were given the opportunities to share their experiences and or encounters at their places of work and schools.

Some of the participants explained that there were times prior to the training exercise where some of them carried out awareness and advocacy, but did not yield the needed or expected results adding that with the new skills acquired, they will do better in achieving their goals.

Some of the participants speaking in an exclusive interview with this paper at the end of the training described the training as a great eye-opener meant to enhance their works at their various places of work.

Siemon Wee of Youth Movement for Collective Action, Oretha Tenway, President of the Margibi Student Union and Leenah Kiamue, a women’s rights activist in separate interviews with New Republic said the training was timely and in the right direction.

They lauded WONGOSOL and her partners, OXFAM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark for the opportunity to benefit from such training and the knowledge acquired from the different facilitators during the course of the training.

Meanwhile, an executive of WONGOSOL and lead organizer of the training, Eliza Dahn had lauded both participants and partners for the successful hosting of the workshop saying, it could not have been possible without the support of the partners and the willingness of the participants.

She therefore wants beneficiaries of the training to make proper use of the knowledge acquired to advance and increase their advocacy role in the Liberian society and beyond.

“I only want to challenge the young women and girls who have been trained as local and future leaders to expand on their advocacy role in the Liberian society aimed at helping to reduce the cultural of silence and other barriers that have kept women at low representation in the public space and even community level,” Madam Dahn said. TNR