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Liberia and MCC Sign $15 Million Grant

   Cassandra  Butts,  senior  adviser  to the MCC CEO says the money will
   support access to land, girls education and trade policy in Liberia

   James Butty | Washington, D.C. 07 July 2010

   The  U.S.  Millennium  Challenge  Corporation  (MCC)  and the Liberian
   government  on  Tuesday  signed  a  $15  million  grant in Monrovia to
   promote  equitable  access  to  land, improve girlsâ primary education
   enrollment and retention, and trade policy and practices.

   Cassandra Butts, senior advisor to the CEO of the Millennium Challenge
   Corporation, said the MCC views Liberia as a model of progress.

   Map of Liberia

   âIt means that we have determined that Liberia is now positioned to be
   a  partner with the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Threshold
   Program.  And,  the  Threshold Program focuses on countries that donât
   quite  qualify  to meet our performance indicator, but we believe that
   they   are   well-positioned,   with  some  assistance,  to  meet  the
   indicators,â she said.

   Butts  said the money would go toward financing three areas identified
   by the Liberian government as part of its development strategy.

   âThe  three  areas  are trade policy, land access and land policy, and
   the  third  area is a focus on girlsâ primary education enrollment and
   retention,â she said.

   Millennium  Challenge  Corporation is an official U.S. agency designed
   to   work  with  developing  countries  to  promote  sound  political,
   economic,  and  social policies that promote poverty reduction through
   economic growth.

   âOne  of  the things that is very important to the MCC model is itâs a
   country-driven approach where we work with countries and the countries
   take  the lead in identifying areas where they determined will lead to
   poverty reduction and economic growth,â Butts said.

   A  2008  survey  by  the  Liberia  Truth and Reconciliation Commission
   warned there was a possibility of Liberia returning to violence if the
   government did not move to address the land issue.

   There  are  numerous  reported  examples  of cases where land has been
   encroached upon, demarcated or resold.

   Butts  said  the  bulk  of  the  $15  million  will  be  spent on land
   accessibility,   security  and  administration  and  registration,  as
   determined by the Liberian government.

   âOf  the  three areas that weâre focusing, it is the area weâre making
   the   largest  investment  because  thatâs  what  the  government  has
   determined.  A  couple  of  issues  that  weâre looking at in the land
   access  and  land  policy  program  is, one, weâre looking at where to
   assist  Liberians  in  harmonizing  their  land  policy based on their
   customary practices and existing law,â Butts said.

   She said the issue of girlsâ primary education and girlsâ education in
   general  is a significant focus of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and
   the  MCC  because  MCC uses girlsâ primary education to determine if a
   country is investing in its people.

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