Poverty Empowerment Case Study

The aim of this thesis was the curiosity to explore the role Faith Based Organizations played in poverty reduction strategy program of Liberia over a specified period 2008-2011.The research focus on five sampled Faith Based Organizations namely: the Lutheran Development Services (LDS), CARITAS Monrovia Office, Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Community Services program of the United Methodist Church, and Humanity First Liberia. In this case, I wanted to see how each of the sampled Faith Based Organization play role in poverty reduction program and how those roles varied over the mentioned period. The below main research question guided and directed the entire study: what role did Faith Based Organization play during the Poverty Reduction

The visible marks of Faith Based Organizations in the areas of Education, Health, Agriculture and Micro-finance. The programs varied within the selected FBOs. For instance, all the sampled Faith Based Organizations saw education as one of the effective tool for poverty reduction that has sustainable and lasting impacts and so they were engaged with education at primary, secondary, universities, colleges vocational and skills development as well as leadership training and empowerment components. This can also be explained as one thematic area with different key activities in both rural and urban communities in

One good reason for this would be that, Faith Based Organizations in Liberia and secular development agencies can make common agenda for achieving development goals in rural communities throughout Liberia. Furthermore, when it comes to poverty reducing activities or programs Faith Based Organizations are directly and indirectly responsible for the work of many of the SDGs regarding poverty reduction and Human development (see 4.4.8.1). Furthermore, Faith Based Organizations should be better integrated in secular poverty reduction programs because they are responsible for wide range of income generating programs and development activities like vocational courses, community development, leadership training, education, health and agriculture (see 4.4.8.1). It was mentioned throughout the text that, in Africa of which Liberia is a part, religious groups are running almost half of the schools and hospitals. In view of the above, I therefore, want to agree with Haynes when he pointed out that there is a need for “robust partnership”