Partners
Our Partners and Supporters
VOSIEDA works with companies, governments, nonprofits, and other organizations to address complex challenges in West Africa’s Mano River Basin. Our partners contribute more than money. Their ideas, volunteer power, in-kind support, and more are helping to build stronger communities.
Partnering With VOSIEDA
VOSIEDA is committed to working in partnership. We believe that we can better achieve our vision of ending extreme poverty in Liberia and the Mano River Basin region of West Africa through cooperation instead of competition. We also believe that if we pool our resources and expertise together, our collective actions will have a greater impact than what we can deliver alone.
In addition to our funding partners, we work with a variety of other actors, such as community-based organizations, advocacy allies, think tanks, universities, research and technical institutions, and service providers.
Project Partners
VOSIEDA works with grassroots organizations, cooperatives, small businesses, and local governments at the community level, as they best understand the issues at stake. We provide these stakeholders with support and enhance their skills and capacity so that their communities can unleash their full potential.
Advocacy Partners
Donors have prioritized building up the “supply-side” (schools, hospitals, etc.) in Liberia and West Africa’s Mano River Basin. Although these investments are necessary, they often come at the expense of creating demand for these services, which hinders effective usage. VOSIEDA has observed this issue and is collaborating with other organizations to conduct advocacy and media campaigns based on evidence. This partnership aims to change behavior and improve the lives of people in Liberia and surrounding areas. To keep up with VOSIEDA’s efforts, you can visit the “Liberia Open Development Platform” at https://www.opendevelopmentliberia.net/.
Research and Technical Partners
VOSIEDA collaborates with academic, think tanks, research, and technical institutions to capture and apply new ideas, knowledge, and practices to real-world settings, supporting environment and natural resources security, poverty reduction, and social justice achievement in Liberia and West Africa.
Service Providers/Suppliers
At VOSIEDA, we partner with service providers and suppliers to procure the necessary goods and services for our development programs. Our collaboration includes a wide range of suppliers, vendors, and contractors at the community level. We are committed to supporting local economic growth by empowering people, communities, and businesses to contribute to a fair and prosperous community, where everyone can thrive.
Some of our partners, including some past and present supporters
Collaboration is key to making a lasting impact in West Africa. We understand that addressing the development challenges of the region requires resources and expertise that no single organization can provide. That is why we are committed to partnering with international aid agencies, governments, the private sector, foundations, civil society organizations, other NGOs, and local communities. Our collaborations in the Mano River Basin have transformed lives, and we believe that by working together, we can create a better future for the region.
European Union (EU)
The EU has partnered with VOSIEDA to help with governance and market reforms, making sure that illegal forest resource use is curbed and underprivileged communities in Liberia benefit from this. Our aim is to work together to support the millions of poor people who rely on forests to make a living. By reducing illegal logging, communities can better manage their forests and avoid disputes over ownership. Moreover, by securing tenure of the forests, we can help communities dependent on them increase their earnings. Our alliance is dedicated to ensuring that everyone practices sustainable and fair forest management.
World Bank Liberia
The World Bank has partnered with VOSIEDA on different initiatives ranging from youth empowerment to smallholder tree crop revitalization support. Under different projects, our partnership with the Bank has increased smallholder tree crop farmers’ income opportunities and fostered youth empowerment.
Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)
VOSIEDA is partnering with ECOWAS Commission to promote social stability in Liberia and West Africa’s sub-region since 2017. We worked with ECOWAS for a peaceful transfer of political power in Liberia in 2016/2017 contested presidential and parliamentary elections. Our partnership gear toward supporting ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to promote peace and security in West Africa through preventive diplomacy.
United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP)
VOSIEDA partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2008 to reintegrate ex-combatants into their communities after the conflict in Liberia. We have continued to work with UNDP on various fronts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Liberia. Our most recent UNDP initiatives include the Climate Resilient Agriculture and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Liberia’s Coastal and Agroecological Zones, as well as the Mano River Post-Ebola medical surveillance and livelihoods programme. You can find more information about these initiatives by clicking on the hyperlink below.
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
The United Nations Office the high Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) and VOSIEDA have joined forces to fight against contemporary forms of slavery in Liberia. Our primary aim is to help victims, particularly women and children, of modern-day servitude to regain their freedom. We take an active approach through campaigns and public education to empower those who may be vulnerable, to stand up for their human rights. Our support also extends to victims of slavery, providing legal, material, and psychological assistance to aid recovery. We strive to tackle the root causes of servitude by promoting education and eliminating poverty and gender inequality. The funding of our partnership is through the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, and our commitment is unwavering in eradicating modern-day slavery in Liberia.
United Nations Democracy Funds (UNDEF)
UNDEF funded and partnered with VOSIEDA from 2010 to 2012 to address the fundamental problems of widespread participation and inclusion in Liberia. The project laid the foundation to empower civil society and encourage marginalized populations to understand their civic rights and duties. This was especially important following decades of marginalization, exclusion, and conflict. The collaboration between UNDEF and VOSIEDA was successful in promoting a politically engaged and informed citizenry, as well as active civil society organizations in Liberia. This immensely contributed to Liberia’s second peaceful parliamentary and presidential elections in 2011, following the post-war period. Furthermore, from 2021 to 2023, UNDEF supported VOSIEDA in strengthening independent media and freedom of information in Liberia.
United States Agency For International Development (USAID)
USAID works in Liberia and the Mano River Union region with the help of governments and civil society groups like VOSIEDA to address development issues, particularly in fragile situations. VOSIEDA is an active Liberian civil society organization that partners regularly with USAID-funded projects such as the ‘Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP) with DAI, the ‘Ebola Community Action Platform (ECAP), and the Economic Recovery from Ebola for Liberia (EREL) with Mercy Corps. Please click the link provided below for more information on our projects in partnership with USAID.
World Food Programme (WFP)
Since 2017, the World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with VOSIEDA to provide agricultural training to small-scale farmers in Liberia. The aim is to equip farmers with the knowledge needed to increase their crop yields, safely store their harvests, manage their associations, and establish profitable relationships with local traders. As the majority of impoverished families in West Africa rely on small-scale farming, this partnership allows for an improved livelihood for the farmers. Many farmers lack access to adequate resources, training or funds to improve their productivity, which is why this partnership is so crucial. The partnership also includes the Community Grain Reserves (CGRs), a WFP program in Liberia designed to help vulnerable communities mitigate seasonal shocks and improve their resilience through enhanced food stock management.
Australian Agency For International Development (AusAID)
The Australian government’s aid program is committed to reducing poverty and improving living standards through sustainable economic growth. VOSIEDA partnered with Australian Aid in 2011-2012 through the Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility (AAPF), and in 2015-2016, we were supported by the Australia Direct Aid Program (DAP). The DAP allowed us to train 200 female-headed households in various skills such as horticulture, livestock farming, and farm management. Additionally, we built a small-scale farmers’ organization capacity-building center that currently benefits small-scale Liberian farmers. The Australian government’s aid program is currently focused on the Indo-Pacific region, but our partnership with them has proven beneficial in the past.
UN Women
UN Women is an organization within the United Nations committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women. One of our key areas of focus is in the Mano River Basin of West Africa. In 2012-2013, UN Women partnered with VOSIEDA to support the economic empowerment of rural women in Rivercess and Grand Bassa Counties in Southern Liberia. Through this partnership, VOSIEDA provided training and assistance to 250 rural women in areas such as cassava processing, small business management, women’s rights, and income generation.
Japan’s Grant Assistance For Grassroots Human Security (GGHSP)
Liberia’s agriculture sector is still at a primitive stage of development, despite it being the primary economic contributor. Private sector involvement is not meeting expectations. Between 2015 and 2019, the Small-Scale Farmer’s Support Center was built through the joint efforts of the Japanese and VOSIEDA. This center aims to improve the competitiveness of value chains and transform the agriculture sector in Liberia sector by sector. By identifying and supporting existing small-scale farmers and agri-businesses, as well as nurturing dynamic and innovative entrepreneurs, the center supports subsector transformations and addresses value chain challenges.
Tropenbos International (TBI)
Tropebos International, a Netherlands-based organization, is partnering with VOSIEDA in Liberia to implement the Green Livelihoods Alliance – Forested Landscapes for Equity and strengthen non-state actors’ capacity to improve FLEGT-VPA and REDD+ processes in Western Africa. Our focus is to work towards enabling communities to resist destructive oil palm expansion and logging by striving to improve adherence to the full implementation of policies and laws in forest and land management. We are also committed to enhancing the recognition and respect of local communities’ tenure rights by the government and concessionaires. As a result, we are working hard to increase the capacity of non-state actors to monitor, advocate, and engage with State Actors in forest and land governance processes and support coalitions of CSOs to advocate on issues important to them while pursuing change through evidence-based advocacy and engagement.
Nature And Development Foundation (NDF)
The Nature Development Foundation (NDF) is a Ghanan NGO active in Ghana and partners in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. NDF’s focus in these countries has been interacting with the broader land-use sector, ensuring essential legal compliance by the forestry industry, encouraging responsible forest management and commodity production in general, and interacting with other actors who influence the forest landscape. VOSIEDA and Nature Development Foundation are regional partners working to promote responsible forest management, natural resources management, rural development, and governance in the West African Sub-region.
German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
The German Federal Government is committed to strengthening global climate and biodiversity action. Through its funding program, the International Climate Initiative (IKI), supports ambitious projects on climate change mitigation, adaptation, as well as forest and biodiversity conservation on an international level.
IKI is funding VOSIEDA through its Small Grants program to improve rural households’ access to energy-efficient cookstoves and improved charcoal production technology to mitigate Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, reduce deforestation, and improve health and rural livelihoods in Bong County, Central Liberia.
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Sida is Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation. It strives to reduce poverty and oppression around the world. In cooperation with organizations, government agencies, and the private sector Sida invests in sustainable development for all people.
Sida is funding VOSIEDA through the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia to deliver climate-smart agriculture that achieves a triple win: increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and reduced emissions. The program is strengthening rural communities’ resilience to climate change impacts through small-scale agricultural practices that promote sustainable productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector.
Liberia Agency For Community Empowerment (LACE)
LACE is an organization that was established by the Community Empowerment Act in 2004. Its purpose is to strengthen the social services of impoverished communities through a community-based approach. LACE collaborates with implementing bodies rather than implementing sub-projects itself. This approach has been instrumental in reducing poverty in various communities. Funding for LACE’s sub-projects comes from donors such as the World Bank and the European Union, showcasing broad support for the agency. LACE’s partnership with VOSIEDA in Bong County in 2008 was a fruitful experience for all parties involved as it resulted in CBOs developing their technical and managerial capabilities in sub-project activities. Details of some LACE projects can be viewed via the link below.