Devastated by many years of civil war, Liberian women like many of their counterparts in Sub-Saharan Africa, remain among the most disadvantaged groups in the world. They are disproportionately poor, illiterate and tend to gain a living in the informal economy, which in turn provides dismal earnings, low productivity and higher exposure to exploitation. Liberia’s unemployment and poverty rates hover around 80 percent, respectively. Liberian women are excluded from the most productive sectors of the economy, including rubber and timber. Sixty percent of Liberian women between the ages of 15-49 compared to thirty percent of men are illiterate, and 42% of Liberian women compared with 18% of men have never received any kind of formal education. MIL has created skills development programs in commercial sewing, designed to train and support Liberian women looking to transfer from unproductive trades in the informal sector to formal employment in small and growing businesses. The program successfully places 100% of its program graduates in fulltime jobs as sewing machine operators in Africa’s fi rst Fair Trade Certifi ed™ garment factory, which is fully owned and run by Liberians.

MIL’s major programs include: Right–to-Work Program: Participants graduate from a four-course curriculum beginning with our Alignment Workshop, which culminates with the creation of each participant’s personal vision statement and the group’s shared vision for our communities, country, and planet. Alignment is followed by a personal finance course, which is the final step before job specific training begins (generally two courses). For women interested in management, a fifth course is available which is coupled with a year-long mentorship program. And for management graduates interested in starting their own small business, MIL has developed an entrepreneurship course and mentorship program with volunteers from Harvard Business School, JMJ Consulting, and various American private sector organizations.

Working Assets Program: Though 100% of Made In: Liberia’s graduates begin full-time formal employment upon graduation, MIL’s commitment to our graduates does not end upon job placement. Instead, we encourage each graduate to save for their future by matching 100% of any savings they retain in their savings account for one year. Currently, graduates are saving up to 50% of their monthly salary in hopes of using their matched funds to invest in major assets including land, business ventures, and education.