To celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021, USAID Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks and U.S. Embassy Monrovia staff joined a group of small- and medium business owners at SMART Liberia on the evening of November 10 for a networking club.
According to the US Embassy Monrovia website, the United States is proud to be a key partner supporting Liberia’s economic growth. The US is supporting programs in Liberia that improve the business climate, help U.S. and international businesses find opportunities to invest in Liberia and its people, or by supporting Liberian businesses through programs like the two $20 million credit facilities with the Liberia Enterprise Development Finance Company and International Bank.
Deputy Mission Director Eubanks said during the event that the health of Liberia’s economy will depend on the ease of doing business in the country, especially for those starting a new venture.
“The truth is, the U.S. Embassy can only do so much. It will be the ingenuity and persistence of small business owners just like yourself that will lead to a strong Liberian economy. Our goal, like yours, is a prosperous and self-reliant Liberia.”
USAID Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks
The U.S. Embassy assists entrepreneurship in Liberia in a number of ways. The Young African Leadership Initiative’s Mandela Washington Fellow program includes a special track just for promising young Liberians pursuing careers in business. Every year, the US Embassy in Liberia selects Liberians who have demonstrated commitment to entrepreneurship on the International Visitor Leadership Program projects to help them connect with other entrepreneurs in the United States and around the world.
USAID is working to develop entrepreneurial skills for young farmers and supporting capacity development and access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises.