By Amos Harris
MONROVIA — For 45-year-old Ellen Doe, selling fish in Monrovia’s bustling West Point community is more than just a way to earn a daily living. It has become a path toward financial independence, expanding her business, and securing a better future for her children.
A recipient of a US$1,000 grant provided through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Doe has successfully shifted her business model away from relying on costly credit arrangements to stock her inventory.
Before receiving the grant, Doe regularly acquired fish on credit from major suppliers, returning to pay off her debts only after making sales at the local market—a practice that left her with thin profit margins and constant financial insecurity.
“Before, I used to go in the market to buy fish on credit to sell,” Doe said. “But this time I don’t do that. I start doing my own thing now.”
Using the grant, Doe purchased diverse, high-demand fish species—including Saint-Pierre, Kutu, and Naplae—allowing her to stock her stall independently. The shift to direct ownership of her inventory has significantly boosted her profit margins.
The increased earnings have empowered the mother of four to take full control of her household’s financial obligations, including paying her children’s tuition and covering medical expenses.
“I can help my family, take care of me, sending me to hospital, my children’s school fees and plenty things with money,” Doe explained, noting that all four of her children are currently enrolled in school. “I tell NaFAA thank you over and over, and I want for them to come and rescue me more and more.”
Doe’s success story reflects a broader initiative under the Liberia Sustainable Management Fisheries Project (LSMFP), which aims to strengthen women’s participation and leadership across the country’s coastal economy.
Abraham W. Dioh, Project Coordinator for the LSMFP, explained that the grant program falls under Component 2.2 of the project, targeting women-owned enterprises ranging from informal, micro-level operations to formal small businesses.
Dioh emphasized that women form the backbone of Liberia’s fisheries value chain, particularly in post-harvest processing and local marketing. Through the LSMFP, more than 1,670 women across Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Montserrado, and Grand Bassa counties have received financial assistance.
The grant process was implemented by Conservation International with technical oversight from NaFAA. The program launched with extensive community awareness campaigns and public radio announcements to ensure broad accessibility, attracting over 6,000 applicants during its first funding round.
Applications were systematically reviewed by an evaluation panel comprising representatives from civil society, the fisheries sector, and NaFAA. Grant sizes were tailored to business capacity; while smaller vendors applied for amounts ranging from US$50 to US$100, larger requests required applicants to meet specific criteria, such as formal business registration.
To encourage financial discipline and sustainability, the project adopted a performance-based installment approach. Beneficiaries receiving multi-tranche grants were required to demonstrate proper usage of initial funds before receiving subsequent payouts.
“This approach was intended to build accountability while helping beneficiaries construct sustainable businesses rather than treating the grants simply as one-time relief,” Dioh said.
To measure progress and prevent mismanagement, NaFAA’s monitoring and evaluation team conducts regular field visits across beneficiary communities, tracking business growth and operational stability alongside Conservation International.
While long-term success will depend on whether beneficiaries can continuously reinvest profits and maintain market access, experiences like Ellen Doe’s showcase the immediate impact of providing working capital to women entrepreneurs.
Her journey highlights the transformative potential of Liberia’s fisheries sector to foster genuine economic independence, proving that targeted investments in women not only strengthen local commerce, but also stabilize families and communities.