Monrovia, Liberia; May 28, 2026: At 52, Ma Tenneh’s life tells a powerful story of resilience, growth, and transformation.
Once a hand-to-mouth farmer struggling to make ends meet, she is now the proud founder of “Ma Tenneh Natural Forest Honey”, a certified organic brand recognized across Monrovia, Lofa Bridge, Bo Waterside, and surrounding communities.
But her journey did not begin with success. It began with uncertainty, limited tools, and a small cluster of 50 beehives.
Everything changed when she was selected as one of ten entrepreneurs under the UNDP Liberia Growth Accelerator Programme from the European Union–funded Leh Go Green Project.
A Turning Point
Before joining the Growth Accelerator programme, Ma Tenneh’s honey production was rudimentary and risky. Her hives were placed directly on bare ground, exposed to ants, lizards, and rain. Her harvesting method of squeezing honeycomb by hand into cut plastic containers, often contaminated her product.
“Before the Accelerator, my honey was full of smoke residue, and my prices were low and unstable. The EU-funded Leh Go Green Project did not just give me an opportunity to access a grant under the Growth Accelerator, but it gave me eyes to see what I was doing wrong, and a road to move forward,” she recalls.
What she received was not just funding, but it was a transformation.
The $10,000 grant, combined with hands-on mentorship, marked a turning point from knowledge to growth.
Within months, Ma Tenneh upgraded her entire operation. She built elevated beehive stands to protect her hives, began using proper honey strainers, eliminating contamination, and she invested in procuring protective gear for herself and her workers.
Then came branding, another milestone. With support from the project’s design coach, her product was reborn as Ma Tenneh Natural Forest Honey, complete with a professionally designed label featuring her own portrait. For the first time, her honey didn’t just taste good; it looked market-ready.
A Breakthrough Moment
The real breakthrough came after five months (in Month Five).
Ma Tenneh secured her first deals to supply resorts and eco-lodges along the Cape Mount coast in Robertsport. In just four weeks, she sold 180 kilograms of honey—more than she had sold in the previous two years combined.
Her income surged to over $330 per month, more than ten times what she had previously earned.
Her brand is now stocked in two major stores in Monrovia and served at a popular eco lodge, marking her entry into premium markets.
Scaling Impact Beyond Herself
But Ma Tenneh’s success did not stop at personal gain. With the support of the grant, she expanded from 50 to over 105 beehives, dramatically increasing production. She also used her earnings to build new top-bar hives and train others in her community.
Today, she has employed three women in her cooperative, trained over 20 beekeepers, including young mothers and her operations span three communities in the Mano River region. She has turned her business into a platform for empowerment.
“A queen bee does not eat all the honey herself. She lays eggs so the hive grows. She protects and she leads. That is what I try to do now,” Ma Tenneh says.
A Hive of Opportunity
The EU- funded Leh Go Green and the UNDP Growth Accelerator collaboration was designed to do exactly this. Help existing rural micro-enterprises scale sustainably through mentorship, low-cost technology, and access to finance and markets.
For Ma Tenneh, the impact has been deeply personal and profoundly lasting.
“My hive is not just wood and wax. My hive is a workforce of Liberian women and youth who wake up every morning knowing their work matters,” she noted.
Looking Ahead
Ma Tenneh’s journey is far from over. Later this year, her cooperative plans to invest in a manual honey extractor shared across three villages and a solar-powered warming cabinet to preserve honey quality.
These innovations will further improve efficiency and product quality without compromising the natural ingredients of her honey.
A Message to Other Women
Ma Tenneh’s story is ultimately a call to action.
“To any woman in Liberia selling something from the forest such as honey, palm oil, cassava or snails, take it seriously and apply to this program. You might not become a millionaire overnight but a reputable businesswoman. And no one can take that from you,” she urges.
From a struggling farmer to a community leader and entrepreneur, Ma Tenneh’s story is proof that with the right support, knowledge, and determination, small beginnings can lead to extraordinary change.