Author: Rural Reporters News Network

By Rocheford T. Gardiner – June 25, 2025Cape Palmas, Liberia–On paper, Liberia’s unemployment rate appears impressively low. According to the International Labour Organization and related sources, the country’s jobless rate stands at just 2.9%. Compared to global benchmarks, where a 4–5% rate in the U.S. is considered “full employment,” and many African nations contend with double-digit unemployment, this figure might seem like a sign of economic health.But behind the numbers lies a more troubling reality.The Real Picture: Why Liberia’s Low Unemployment Rate is MisleadingIn short, the 2.9% unemployment rate belies deep-rooted issues: widespread poverty, underemployment, and a labor force dominated…

By Samule BorlayKolahun District, Gbandi Chiefdom–The Fassavolu Development Association (FADA) on June 29, 2025 wrapped up its three-day transformative peer mentorship program in Fassavolu Town.The mentorship program focused on critical issues affecting today’s youth, including the role of young people in society, teenage pregnancy, menstrual hygiene, the importance of education, and strategies for managing peer pressure. Attendees not only benefited from the insightful discussions but also honed their skills in spelling bee contest.The event drew participation from students, parents, and educators who expressed their gratitude for the positive impact of the mentorship program.FDA CEO, Joseph Fatorma Sando was lauded for…

By J Mason KollieMonrovia, Liberia–Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Joyce N. Akoi of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has returned home with honor following intensive military training in the United States.Sergeant Akoi is the first female Senior Enlisted soldier to graduate from the prestigious United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA). She returns home with multiple accolades, further cementing her legacy as a trailblazer in the Liberia’s military. CSM Akoi, a dedicated soldier with over 19 years of service, earned several distinguished awards during her training in the U.S. The awards include, Diploma from the Sergeants Major Academy, Master of Science…

By D Abraham CooperGrand Gedeh County – At long last, slain former President Samuel Kanyon Doe has been given a befitting burial, as 35 years after he was gruesomely murdered during the country’s first internecine conflict that claimed approximately 250,000 lives and wantonly destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of private and public properties, the Government of Liberia, over the weekend accorded him and his wife, who died late May this year, state burial rites in their home, Grand Gedeh County.In a solemn and historic moment, following the exhumation of the remains of ex-President Doe and a military escort accorded the…

By D. Abraham CooperGrand Gedeh County – A 36-year-old mother, Houssainatou Balde, who recently gave birth to a set of triplets, is pleading for assistance for the upkeep of her children.Following a successful cesarean section, or C-section surgical operation, Balde, a Fulani, gave birth to two girls and a boy Monday, 23 June, at the Martha Tubman Memorial Hospital in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.The36-year-old mother of five, having given birth to two other children previously, is appealing to philanthropists, non-governmental organizations, humanitarian institutions, and people of goodwill, to come to the aid of her newborn.She highlighted the challenges of caring…

River Cess County – A court in River Cess County has sentenced for 50 years, a 43-year-old man, Saah Bundor, in a double rape offense committed against two female minors ages 9 and 11 respectively.The 14th Judicial Circuit Court for River Cess County sentenced the 43-year-old for statutory rape, following a jury’s unanimous guilty verdict handed down on 27 June, adjudging Bundor culpable for raping two minors (names withheld) by turn in one day, at the same spot.Rural Reporters News Network (RRNN) has reliably gathered that the double rape occurred 24 May 2025, in Solo Village, Bearwor Administrative District, River…

By Ben TC BrooksRiver Gee County – Superintendent Mike T. Swengbe of River Gee County was in attendance at the historic ceremony marking the reburial of slain former President Samuel K. Doe and the burial of the ex-president’s wife, former First Lady Nancy B. Doe, which jointly took place in Grand Gedeh County’s capital, Zwedru, on Friday, 27 June 2025.Samuel K. Doe, Liberia’s 21st President, was gruesomely killed during the country’s first civil war, while his wife died recently of undisclosed natural cause.The ceremony was also graced by President Joseph N. Boakai and several other prominent national leaders, coming together…

By D. Abraham CooperGrand Gedeh County – A non-governmental organization named in honor of Liberian president Joseph Nyuma Boakai (JNB), the JNB Foundation, has donated a variety of medical supplies to the Tuzon Clinic, located Tuzon, Grand Gedeh County.The donated items comprises assorted medical supplies including hand sanitizers, examination gowns, soap dispensers, and other essential medical tools intended to strengthen the clinic’s operation in serving the local community.During a ceremony for the presentation of the supplies recently, Deputy Executive Director of the JNB Foundation, Henry Saah Flanpor, stated that the donation underscores the Foundation’s dedication to aiding the Ministry of…

Ben TC BrooksRiver Gee County – In River Gee County, the Ministry of Health has commenced a National Health Census, which aims to conduct a thorough evaluation of healthcare workers including employees, volunteers, and staff from both public and private health sectors in that part of the country.The exercise got underway on 19 June and is expected to be climaxed on 29 July, according to Team Leader Wilmont B. Beyam, who is accompanied in River Gee by three team members. said the census will take place for ten days, started June 19 and wrapping up on June 29.Beyam told our correspondent…

By Peter KollieLofa County – A multipurpose motorway service area currently nearing completion along the Bong-Lofa corridor in north central Liberia is to be inaugurated in mid-July, Deputy House Speaker, Thomas Fallah, the financier of the project has disclosed.The motorway service area, a major developmental project aimed at enhancing road safety, travel comfort, and community interaction along the Bong-Lofa highway, in Beyan Town, Salayea District.Named the “Come and Rest” Stopping Place, the multipurpose facility features a modern waiting room and event hall, a police station, and a designated bus stop.It is strategically located near the St. Paul River Bridge, at…