The Monrovia City Corporation and the Philanthropy Secretariat conducted a joint press conference at the Monrovia City Hall to announce the launch of a project called Improved Primary Solid Waste Collection in Poor Communities of Monrovia known as the MCC IMPAC Project. This initiative is funded through a commitment of 5 million USD from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) under its Global Program for Inclusive Governance (GPIMG). According to the project document, the MCC will work with community groups and local officials to create a sustainable municipal solid waste management and recycling system. The vision of success for the project states that “Within four and half years, a large proportion of urban poor households in the City of Monrovia would have regular and reliable access to door-to-door waste collection service on a sustainable basis and waste from the city would hauled away in a systematic manner, leaving the city clean”.

In September 2010, the Gates Foundation announced an effort to tackle Urban Poverty in Five African Cities: Cairo, Egypt; Luanda, Angola; Lilongwe, Malawi; Monrovia, Liberia; and Harare, Zimbabwe. The goal of the projects is to foster a productive relationship between city government and the urban poor that can serve as a model for other developing world cities to follow as they seek to address the challenges of urban poverty.

This four and half years “MCC IMPAC” project will increase adequate access to primary waste collection services for the majority of urban poor households and communities, educate households, and increase awareness on proper waste containment practices at the household levels and will also engage in streets naming and numbering as well as house numbering.

The Philanthropy Secretariat’s role in the process has been in engaging the BMGF in a series of discussions via phone as well as in supporting the MCC during the development of the “MCC IMPAC” project.

Speaking on behalf of the Monrovia City Corporation Acting Mayor Broh expressed her gratitude to the BMGF for this huge initiative and reassured her support in the implementation of the project. Hon. Davis emphasized the Philanthropy Secretariat’s continued commitment to facilitating support from foundations in support of initiatives aligned to the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).

About the Philanthropy Secretariat

Since 2006, philanthropists and foundations have played a vital role in supporting Liberia’s reconstruction and development process. The Philanthropy Secretariat was conceived as a mechanism to respond to several key challenges faced by foundations working in the country and to strengthen philanthropist-supported contributions in Liberia. Through generous support from funders including the NoVo Foundation, Humanity United, the Daphne Foundation and the McCall MacBain Foundation, the Government of Liberia launched the Secretariat in April 2009. Liberia is the first country in the world to create an office dedicated to facilitating the work of foundations and philanthropists.

Since its inception, the Secretariat has strengthened foundation support for Liberia through improved information sharing. The Secretariat has also encouraged new foundations to begin funding in the country. Since the office’s launch in 2009, nine foundations have made first-time grants in Liberia.

Contact:
Hon. Natty B. Davis
Director, Philanthropy Secretariat
philanthropy@emansion.gov.lr
philanthropysecretariat@gmail.com
www.supportliberia.com

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