In a vibrant display of community support and youth empowerment, four agriculture students from the University of Liberia (UL) recently received US$500 Grants each totaling $2,000 from the Sweat Equity Leadership Development Program. The awards, presented in December 2025, target agricultural entrepreneurship to spark sustainable businesses, job creation and innovation in Liberia's vital farming sector. The event unfolded in the University of Liberia Agriculture College and later extended to Toweh Town, Boe-Quilla Administrative District, Lower Nimba County, where Chief Executive Officer Dr. Pitman A. Kennedy was warmly welcomed by enthusiastic Nimbaians. Under the shade of towering mango trees and amid the lively chatter of locals, Dr. Kennedy, a visionary leader with a track record of fostering youth-led initiatives hosted a meet-and-greet that doubled as a celebration of agricultural promise.
Dressed in traditional attire blended with modern professional garb, he addressed a crowd of students, elders, and farmers, emphasizing how climate-smart technologies and robust value chains could transform Liberia's agriculture from subsistence to a thriving economy. Beyond the grants, Dr. Kennedy's generosity extended to 27 scholarships for promising students from the region, fueling hopes for broader educational access. He also sponsored a unifying football match between Toweh Town and Gbeletuo, drawing cheering crowds to a dusty field alive with drumbeats and chants. The game not only bridged community divides but symbolized the teamwork needed to cultivate Liberia's future.
The four UL College of Agriculture and Forestry recipients, selected through a competitive process in partnership with Sweat Equity, are channeling their funds into innovative projects. These include climate resilient crop techniques, such as drought-resistant cassava varieties and solar-powered irrigation systems, alongside value-added processing like fruit drying for export markets. The initiative particularly encourages applications from women and young entrepreneurs, addressing gender gaps in a sector where women form the backbone of smallholder farming. Dr. Kennedy, whose program has roots in promoting sweat equity rewarding hard work with tangible opportunities, highlighted the grants' role in combating youth unemployment and food insecurity.
These students are not just planting seeds; they're sowing the foundation for a self-reliant Liberia," he declared during the ceremony, as recipients clutched their checks amid applause and shared dreams of scaling their ventures. This infusion of support arrives at a pivotal time for Liberian agriculture, battered by climate challenges and economic pressures. By empowering UL's next generation, Sweat Equity is nurturing a wave of innovators poised to boost local economies, from Nimba's fertile plains to markets nationwide.
Author: D. Franklin Doloquee
