SustainableVillageModel

2008
The
Empowerment Society International
4460 S Cobblestone St
Gilbert, AZ 85297
(602) 538-2638
info@empowermentsociety.com
ESI Sustainable Village Model
Duayee, Nimba County, Liberia

Prepared by
Peter Gbelia, President, Empowerment Society International
Dee Dee Vicino, Board of Advisors, Empowerment Society International
Published by the Empowerment Society International
September 15, 2008

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................I
EMPOWERMENT SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL...................................................................................................III
MISSION............................................................................................................................................................... III
PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................. III
THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA SUSTAINABILITY COALITION (SASC)......................................................................................IV
PARTNER PROFILES ..................................................................................................................................................V
TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................................................VII
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.................................................................................................1
PROBLEM STATEMENT:.............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 HISTORY ..........................................................................................................................................................1
1.3 GEOGRAPHY .....................................................................................................................................................3
1.4 DEMOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................................................3
1.4.1 Population .............................................................................................................................................3
1.4.2 Land Ownership.....................................................................................................................................4
1.4.3 Ethnic Composition................................................................................................................................4
1.4.4 Religion..................................................................................................................................................4
1.5 INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE..................................................................................................................................5
1.6 METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................................................7
PART 2 - PRIORITIES, ISSUES, AND ACTIONS....................................................................................................9
2.1 DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.................................................................................................................................10
2.1.1 District Priorities ..................................................................................................................................10
2.1.2 County Priorities ..................................................................................................................................10
2.1.3 Gbehyi Chiefdom Priorities ..................................................................................................................10
2.2 INFRASTRUCTURE AND BASIC SERVICES PILLAR.......................................................................................................10
2.2.1 Health ..................................................................................................................................................10
2.2.2 Air Quality............................................................................................................................................12
2.2.3 Water and Sanitation ..........................................................................................................................12
2.2.4 Education.............................................................................................................................................13
2.2.5 Food Security .......................................................................................................................................14
2.2.6 Electricity .............................................................................................................................................15
2.2.7 Housing................................................................................................................................................15
2.3 ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION PILLAR.....................................................................................................................16

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2.3.1 Natural Resources............................................................................................................................... 16
2.3.2 Agriculture .......................................................................................................................................... 17
2.3.3 The Sustainable Village Service Center ............................................................................................... 17
2.4 CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES ................................................................................................................................... 19
2.4.1 Gender Equity ..................................................................................................................................... 19
2.4.2 HIV and AIDS....................................................................................................................................... 20
2.4.3 Children and Youth ............................................................................................................................. 21
PART 3 - ESI AND THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS............................................. 22
PART 4 – ESI AND THE WORLD BANK’S APPROACH TO LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT........................... 24
PART 5 - MARKET STRATEGY......................................................................................................................... 25
5.1 MARKET ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................................... 25
5.2 MARKET STRUCTURE ....................................................................................................................................... 25
5.3 SALES STRATEGY............................................................................................................................................. 26
5.4 PROJECT TIME LIME ........................................................................................................................................ 26
5.4 BARRIERS TO ENTRY ........................................................................................................................................ 28
PART 6 - BUDGET/FINANCE........................................................................................................................... 29
6.1 BUDGET/FUNDING.......................................................................................................................................... 29
6.2 RETURN ON INVESTMENT POTENTIAL.................................................................................................................. 31
6.2.1 FINANCIAL IMPACT ............................................................................................................................. 31
6.2.2 RETURN ON INVESTMENT................................................................................................................... 31
6.2.3 EXIT STRATEGY.................................................................................................................................... 31
PART 7 - ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 32
7.1 MANAGEMENT............................................................................................................................................... 32
7.2 THE TEAM ..................................................................................................................................................... 32
7.4 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS................................................................................................................................ 35
7.5 COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS ........................................................................ 36
PART 8 - CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................................................................. 37
ANNEXES ...................................................................................................................................................... 39
APPENDIX I: MAPS............................................................................................................................................... 39
APPENDIX II: POTENTIAL MICRO-BUSINESSES .......................................................................................................... 40
APPENDIX III: BALANCE SHEET................................................................................................................................ 42

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APPENDIX IV: INCOME STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................43
APPENDIX V: STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS .............................................................................................................44
APPENDIX VI: LIBERIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS...................................................45
APPENDIX VII – SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS ..................................................................................48
APPENDIX XIII – GOVERNMENT AND CHIEFDOM ORGANIZATION CHART .......................................................................49
APPENDIX VIX – COUNTY ORGANIZATION CHART .....................................................................................................50
APEENDIX X - SWOT ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................................51
END NOTES ...................................................................................................................................................52

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The inhabitants of the
Gbehyi Chiefdom suffer from a
preponderance of malaria,
typhoid fever, malnutrition and
starvation, diarrhea, worms,
urinary tract infections, acute
respiratory infections, anemia,
eye infections, meningitis,
and pelvic inflammatory disease.
Executive Summary
The Empowerment Society International (ESI) seeks to empower individuals by promoting sustainable
development in their communities. Our current project area is Liberia, a small country located on the
west coast of sub-Saharan Africa. ESI has created a coalition of nonprofit and non-government
organizations (NGOs), universities, corporations, and citizens to implement its Sustainable Village
Model (SVM) in the Gbehyi Chiefdom of Nimba County, Liberia. According to Liberia’s 2008 National
Population and Housing Census, Nimba County has a total population of 468,088. The Gbheyi
Chiefdom, part of the Saclepea District, has a population of approximately 4,300.
The Sustainable Village Model (SVM) was developed expressly to
address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and the goals set forth by Liberia’s Poverty
Reduction Strategy (PRS) through the promotion
of Local Economic Development (LED). The
development of the SVM began with meetings
of the village chiefs and elders of the Gbehyi
Chiefdom who, along with representatives of the
Tufeia Foundation and ESI, identified several
development priorities for the region. ESI and
Tufeia Representatives consulted with County mayors,
the District Superintendent, and the Nimba County Caucus
inorder to consolidate and harmonize Gbehyi Chiefdom priorities,
which include renewable energy, clean water, clean air, education, and food security.
The Village Council asked ESI to develop a system to address its priority needs. In response to the
Council’s request, ESI developed a Sustainable Village (SVM) Model in which appropriate green
technology and local resources are used to improve livelihoods by meeting basic needs and providing
the opportunity for micro-business growth and development. The model contains two pillars: (1) The
provision of basic services (health, education, electricity, clean water, food security, and basic
housing) and (2) economic revitalization (which includes the construction of a Sustainable Village
Service Center to oversee the implementation of new technologies and provide opportunities for
micro-business). ESI’s SVM also addresses HIV/AIDS and malaria as well as issues concerning
children, youth and gender-based violence.

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ESI’s Sustainable Village Model will facilitate movement toward meeting the all eight of the
MDG’s as well as those set forth by the PRS. Successful implementation of the model will
Decrease extreme poverty and hunger in rural regions through the implementation
of local economic development, improvements in crop management techniques,
and increased food security;
Improve the quality of education via internet capability and investment in human
capacity;
Promote gender equality and empower women by providing opportunities for
participation in micro-business and the provision of gender-based violence
programs;
Reduce child mortality and improve maternal health through the provision of
community health aids;
Combat malaria and other diseases through the provision of clean water, clean
air, the construction of safe, sustainable homes and health and sex education
programs;
Ensure environmental sustainability by working in harmony with the natural
environment; and
Develop global partnerships for development.
In an effort to meet its goals and objectives, ESI has partnered with like-minded business,
non-government organizations, academic institutions, faculty members, experts in multi-
disciplinary fields, and sustainability organizations. These partnerships are critical to the
development and implementation of the Sustainable Village Model. This coalition is charged
with the task of creating a bioregional zone within Liberia that will foster sustainable
development in environmental management, business, community, and health. Moreover,
ESI has fostered collaboration for its development projects within sub-Saharan Africa. We
work directly with the Government of Liberia (GOL) have secured their approval to carry out
sustainable development projects in Liberia.

iii
EMPOWERMENT SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
Mission
ESI was founded to empower the children of sub-Saharan Africa affected by war and conflict
and to treat, prevent, and manage HIV/Aids and other diseases, to combat illiteracy, and defeat
poverty. The Empowerment Society International (ESI) seeks to empower individuals by
promoting sustainable development in their communities. ESI’s vision is to become the
premiere consultant in sub-Saharan Africa on matters relating to sustainable development and
renewable energy while working together with public, private, and corporate sectors to build a
sustainable society. ESI is “Building a sustainable world, one individual at a time…”
Project Goals and Objectives
Our current project area is Liberia, a small country located on the west coast of sub-Saharan
Africa. ESI has created a coalition of nonprofit and no government organizations (NGOs),
universities, corporations, and citizens to implement its Sustainable Village Model (SVM) in the
Gbehyi Chiefdom in Nimba County, Liberia.
The goal of the SVM is to help Liberia achieve the
United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and to address the goals set forth by Liberia’s Poverty
Reduction Strategy (PRS) through the promotion of
Local Economic Development (LED). More specifically,
ESI aims to create a sustainable village that defeats
poverty through local economic development and
managed "slow growth" in the areas of health,
education, food security, alternative energy, and the
conservation of local biodiversity.
Our objective is to create a community in which increased community revenues are reinvested
in the areas outlined above. In this vein, the region will not only meet the goals set forth by
Liberia’s PRS, but will achieve local MDGs as well, including investments in human capital,
health, education, infrastructure. This will ultimately lead to sustainable growth and will bring an
end to the poverty trap.
Figure 1: ESI President Peter Gbelia with President
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. January 2008.

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The Sub-Saharan Africa Sustainability Coalition (SASC)
In an effort to accomplish its mission, ESI has partnered with Arizona State University’s (ASU)
Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) and the School of Sustainability (SOS), as well as the
University of Liberia’s Department of Environmental Studies, in order to spread the philosophy
of sustainability globally, and more specifically, to sub-Saharan Africa. In order to help
facilitate this global reach, ASU’s student organization, the Sustainability Joint Economic
Development Initiative (SJedi) has developed a sustainability “Think Tank.” SJedi has
recruited university students and faculty members, experts in multi-disciplinary fields,
sustainability organizations, business elements, and NGOs to assist in the development and
implementation of the Sustainable Village Model. This coalition is charged with the task of
creating a bioregional zone within Liberia that will foster sustainable development in
environmental management, business, community, and health. This coalition of NGO,
university, corporation, government, and citizen partnerships is referred to as the Sub-
Saharan Sustainability Coalition (SASC).
The SASC’s management team consists of ESI, ASU’s SJedi, and the Tufeia Foundation. ESI
is the acting consultant on sustainability issues and is the registered International NGO in
Liberia. ESI also fosters collaboration on development projects within sub-Saharan Africa.
SJedi acts as the student think tank and faculty and expertise facilitator, and the Tufeia
Foundation is the local in-country NGO and “implementing” agency. Tufeia manages the local
staff and volunteer network, is the brain trust that helps maintain the local knowledge base,
both new and traditional, and is the capacity builder—creating continuity and resilience within
its organization. Tufeia also acts as liaison between the International NGOs, local citizenry
and governments.
The management team works directly with the Government of Liberia (GOL) to market its
vision and gain approval to conduct sustainable development for the benefit of Liberia.
Additionally, ESI partners with likeminded organizations such as ECOSA, ECHO, Environment
Foundation of Africa, LIHEDE, Solar Electric Light Fund, Right To Play International, Global
Resolve, NiJel, and others to create innovative solutions to the many development issues
facing the project.

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Partner Profiles
ECOSA
The ECOSA Institute of Prescott Arizona has agreed to design
green shelters and structures that incorporate green building
principles (passive solar) for the project area. In addition,
ECOSA will also design edible landscaping systems and water
catchments. www.ecosainstitute.org
ASU
ESI has partnered with Arizona State University’s (ASU) the School of Sustainability
(SOS), and the student organization Sustainability Joint Economic Development
Initiative (SJedi) as well as affiliated faculty and students to aid in the development of the
SVM concept in Liberia. ESI has also partnered with ASU’s Global Institute of
Sustainability (GIOS).
GIOS’s mission is to spread sustainable science globally. The Institute conducts research,
education, and problem-solving activities related to sustainability. The Institute initiates and
nurtures work on issues of sustainability within myriad departments on each of ASU’s the
four campuses and collaborates with other academic institutions, governments, businesses
and industries, and community groups locally, nationally, and globally.
http://sustainability.asu.edu/gios/
ESI is collaborating with Professor
Macia of ASU for the rights to his
aquaponic fish pond design.
Professor Webster (ESI Advisor) of
ASU’s SOS and Global Studies is
completing an application for a Cities
Alliance grant that will provide us the
with the funding necessary to develop
and implement a city development strategy for the county in our project area. Professor
Henderson (SJedi Advisor) is developing an oil-based biofuel that can be used in cookers
to replace the need for charcoal. Lela Prashad of Nijel and in corroboration with ASUs
Remote Sensing Group are developing urban mapping and planning models based on
GIS/Satellite imagery which incorporate such tools as Google Earth, Terra Look, etc.
PUMP
SUMP
BIO
FILTER
PARTICLE
FILTER
FISH
TANK
AQUAPONIC
VEGETABLES
Figure 3 Narciso F. Macia’s Aquaponic Fish Pond & Vegetable System
Figure 2

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ECHO
ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) is a non-profit, inter-denominational
Christian organization that assists a global network of missionaries and development workers
with agricultural projects in 180 countries. ECHO aims to provide technical assistance, training,
and agricultural consulting to those working internationally with poor populations. ECHO’s
mission is "to network with community leaders in developing countries to seek hunger solutions
for families growing food under difficult conditions." www.echonet.org
EFA
The Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) is an African-based NGO that aims to protect
and restore the environment in West Africa. For over 15 years, EFA has led environmental
education and awareness raising campaigns, restored degraded lands and conserved pristine
forests, minimized the impacts of civil war on the environment and its inhabitants, and equipped
thousands of people with sustainable livelihood skills such as agro-forestry. Today EFA
specializes is environmental awareness raising and capacity building at the national, regional and
international levels using high impact communications tools and training programs to build an
environmentally conscious society motivated to maintain the integrity of nature in Africa.
www.efasl.org.uk

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Table of Abbreviations
ASU Arizona State University
CHA Community Health Aide
EWB Engineers without Borders
GBV Gender-Based Violence
GIOS Global Institute of Sustainability
GOL Government of Liberia
LED Local Economic Development
MDG Millennium Development Goals
NCIIA National Collegiate Investors and Innovators Association
NEDCAP Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of
Andre Pradesh
NGO Non-Government Organization
NRC Norwegian Refugee Council
PRS Poverty Reduction Strategy
SELF Solar Electric Light Fund
SJEDI Sustainable Joint Economic Development Initiative
SM Sustainability Manager
SVM Sustainable Village Model
SVSC Sustainable Village Service Center
USAID United States Agency for International Development
UV Ultra Violet
UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees
SGBV Sexual Gender-Based Violence

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PART 1 - INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDi
Problem Statement:
After 14 years of civil war, much of Liberia’s infrastructure remains in ruins. Pipe-born water and
electricity remain unavailable in rural areas, a situation which contributes to disease and
malnutrition among rural populations, especially children. The inhabitants of the SVM project
area, The Gbehyi Chiefdom, suffer from a preponderance of typhoid fever, malnutrition and
starvation, diarrhea, worms, urinary tract infections, acute respiratory infections, anemia, eye
infections, meningitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.
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Because Liberia has just come out of a period of transition and entered a period of development,
rural areas cannot yet look to their government as a source of support. In order to facilitate
growth, the Government of Liberia must focus its attention on improving urban sectors before it is
able to increase its scope to include the more rural regions. While the government of Liberia has
included all of Liberia in its PRS, it is simply unable to meet the immediate needs of rural areas.
Liberia remains a fragile nation recovering from the ill-effects of civil war. In order to survive, rural
regions must become a self-sufficient and sustainable and end their dependence on local,
regional, and international aid.
1.1 Introduction
Nimba County is the largest county in Liberia geographically (4460 sq-
miles) and the second largest county in terms of total population.
According to Liberia’s 2008 Population and Housing Census, there are
approximately 468,000 people living in Nimba County today.
Montsserado County, which houses the capitol city of Monrovia, is
located (pop 1,010,970), has the largest population in Liberia, with
1,144,806 people.
1.2 History
Nimba County attained county status during the presidential tenure of William V.S. Tubman by an
act of the National Legislature in 1964. The county is connected to Liberia’s capital, Monrovia,
through a 298-kilometer route passing through Margibi and Bong counties. Nimba has been one
of Liberia’s most significant historical regions and is the second most important county in terms of
population and politics. Sanniquellie City, the county’s capitol, played host to the first African
state summit involving Guinea, Ghana, and Liberia on 25 May 1959, chaired by Liberia’s
President William V.S. Tubman. This summit eventually led to the founding of the Organization of
African Unity (now known as the African Union or AU) in Addis Ababa, in May 1963.
CreatedbyNiJeL
ExclusivelyforESI

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The county has also borne the brunt of successive civil unrest since the 1980s; some prominent
sons of Nimba County have always been linked to coups and other forms of subversive activities
in the country. It was from the border town of Butuo that Charles Taylor launched his assault on
the Doe’s regime in December of 1989, after a failed coup in 1985 led by General Thomas G.
Quiwonkpa, a son of the county. It has been the site of massacres and ethnic tensions. Bordering
Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, that part of Liberia is of considerable geopolitical consequence.
Prior to the civil war, the Liberia-American Mining Company (LAMCO) was involved in iron ore
mining in Yekepa. This company provided work, education, medical care and other opportunities
for both Liberians and non-Liberians in that part of the County. With the departure of the
Americans, the company became a 100% Liberian company known as Liberian Mining Company
(LIMICO). However, following the war, a 25-year mining contract was signed between the Liberian
government and Arcelor Mittal in 2007. The company is expected to create over 3000 jobs initially.
Basic social service infrastructure (schools, health facilities, power systems, water and sanitation,
etc.) was destroyed during the civil war. This has contributed to the extreme vulnerability of the
population in terms of food security, health care and education. Limited employment opportunities
in the districts have also been lost. With the first post-war elected government and the assisted
repatriation and resettlement of IDPs and refugees, communities are now beginning to rebuild
their lives, but massive challenges remain.

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1.3 Geography
Nimba County is situated roughly at the geographic center of Liberia. Bong County is on its
westward border, Grand Basa and Rivercrass counties make up its southwest border (Grand
Basa is located just north of Rivercrass), and Sinue County is on its southernmost border.
Gedhey County is located just southeast of Nimba. The Ivory Coast makes up Nimba County’s
northeast boundary while Guneai makes up its northwest boundary.
1.4 Demography
The Sustainable Village project area is the Gbehyi
Chiefdom, 30 km SW of the major town of Saclepea in
Saclepea District, Nimba County Liberia. The Gbehyi
Chiefdom consists of a total of 12 towns and villages.
Gbehyi is governed by a Paramount Chief who is
democratically elected by the people and represents the
entire chiefdom. Additionally, Gbehyi consists of two Clans,
Lowee and Borpea, and each clan is divided into two zones.
See Appendix VIII for the organizational structure of the
chiefdom.
1.4.1 Population
According to the 2008 National Population and
Housing Census, Nimba County has a total
population of 468,088. The Saclepea District has a
total population of approximately 160,450 people.
Saclepea City’s population is approximately 12,117.
According to a 2007 survey completed by the
Adventist Development and Relief Agency
International (ADRA), there were 2,317 people living
in 248 houses in the primary village of Duayee,
while the estimated population of the entire twelve villages, which comprise the Gbehyi Chiefdom,
was approximately 4,300. The Gbheyi Chiefdom is part of the Saclepea District.
The population is considerably young. According to the 2005 voter statistics provided in the
Nimba County Information Pack, 121,844 or 64% of a total of 190,264 registered voters were
between the ages of 18-39. Gender distribution is fairly close: 46.37% female and 53.72% male.
More than half of the females are within the child bearing ages of 14 to 49 years, giving rise to
high fertility rates in the County.

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1.4.2 Land Ownership
The land in the Gbehyi Chiefdom is owned by the government, communities, families and/or
individuals. Those who own their own land decide on its use, what to plant, how crop yields are
used, where they are sold, etc. Land owners farm their own land or, if the land is on loan to
another village member, the land is farmed by the borrower. In this case, it is the borrower who
decides what to plant and what to do with the produce and its proceeds.
1.4.3 Ethnic Composition
All of Liberia’s sixteen ethnic groups are found in Nimba County, five of which represent the
majority (Mano, Gio/Dahn, Gbi, Krahn and Mandingo). Of these five, Gio and Mano are the
predominant ethnic groups and are members of the Mende Fu language group, one of four
language groups in Liberia. The Gbehyi Chiefdom is part of the Mano group. Over the years, the
tribal groups of the County have been interlinked through marriage.
The villages in the Lowee Clan include Duanpa, Gborwin, and Banla (zone), Duayee Nyiayi, and
Yekehyee (zone). The villages in the Borpea Clan include Teingbein, Guawin, and Gbarnpa
(zone), Fleedin, Garwonpa, and Mehnla (zone).
1.4.4 Religion
There are three major faiths practiced in Nimba County: Christianity, Islam and the Bahai Faith.
African traditional practices also play an important role in religious practices within the County.
Christianity is the dominant religion, followed by Islam. The dominant local Christian
denominations include the Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Baptist Church, Lutheran Church,
Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, Pentecostal Related Churches, Seven Day Adventist,
Jehovah Witnesses, Church of Christ, Mid-Baptist Church, Church of the Lord Aladura, and Inland
Church. The Methodist Church, The Baptist Church, and the Catholic Church are the only
denominations present in the Gbehyi Chiefdom. While Islam is practiced in nearly every district of
the County, it is not practiced in the Gbehyi Chiefdom. In addition to promoting their specific
doctrines, religious institutions have served as partners to the Government and local communities
and have provided basic services such as education, health services, training, etc.

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1.5 Institutional Structure
Sanniquellie is the seat of the Nimba County administration. The county has six administrative
districts (Gbehlageh, Saclepea, Sanniquelle-Mahn, Tappita, Yarwein-Mehnsohnneh and Zoegeh)
and seven electoral districts, each with newly-elected representatives to the National Legislature.
At the level of the Liberian Senate the county has a senior senator and a junior senator. The
county administration is headed by a Superintendent and has representatives from key line
ministries. Districts are headed by District Commissioners (Appendix IX). Traditional authority is
vested in a Paramount chief and a council of elders, representing various tribal identities in the
county (Appendix VIII).
The Gbehyi Chiefdom consists of two major Clans, the Lowee Clan, and the Borpea Clan, and is
headed by a paramount chief (Figure 1). Each clan is divided into two zones with a zone chief.
Each zone has 3 villages, each with a village chief. Each village is further divided into quarters
consisting of quarter chiefs, and thus, daily administration is accomplished at the lower quarter
chief levels, while issues of increasing importance flow up the chain of seniority until all disputes
are resolved. Additionally, a council of elder representatives from each village assembles and is
consulted on all major issues. Please see appendixes VIII and VIX for Government, County, and
Chiefdom organizational structures.

6
Very complicated issues and or agreements affecting the entire area require an assembly of all
representative chiefs and the council of elders in order to gain resolution and acceptance. The
Paramount Chief represents the wishes of the entire clan and works with the District
Commissioner to ensure that the Chiefdom’s interests are represented at the county and national
levels.
A District Development fund has been established by the National government. The village chiefs
state that they have yet to see proceeds from that fund. The Government of Liberia is
responsible for the provision of a nurse and teachers for the Chiefdom. The former nurse
subsisted on a salary of US $75.00 per year. The clinic has been without a nurse since
September 2007. The teachers are recruited from the surrounding villages and work on a
volunteer basis. The majority of the teacher-volunteers have little or no college education. The
Duayee School has a total ten teachers.
There is no Clan tax. The chiefs and elders serve on a voluntary basis. When emergency issues
come up and the need arises, village households are taxed to meet the obligations of the
community.
There are no protected areas in the clan and many endangered species are hunted in the area.
Liberia is an agrarian society. Approximately 70% of the Liberian population survives on
subsistent farming. Teachers and healthcare workers alike are supported through these means.
Families’ crop yields are sold and the proceeds are used to pay their children’s tuitions and their
family medical expenses.

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1.6 Methodology
The Sustainable Village Model (SVM) was developed expressly to address
Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy 2008-2011 and the UN MDG’s. The SVM
should be considered a localized strategy to help carry the nation toward its
PRS and MDG goals. The development of the SVM began with meetings of
the village chiefs and elders of the Gbehyi Chiefdom who, along with
representatives of the Tufeia Foundation and ESI, identified several
development priorities for the region. Following these meetings, representatives from the Tufeia
Foundation and ESI met with mayoral representatives to confirm the priority needs identified
during the village meetings. The consortium met with five mayors of Nimba County
iii
, the Nimba
County Superintendent (governor) Hon. Robert Kamei, and
Nohn Emmanuel L. Paye, the Ganta City Administrator.
Finally, ESI and Tufeia Representatives consulted with the
Nimba County Caucus in order to consolidate and harmonize
Gbehyi Chiefdom priorities. In Monrovia, the consultations
involved five of seven members of the Nimba County Caucus,
iv
including Senior Senator Prince Johnson. Other consultations included meetings with a cross-
section of stakeholders in the region, including the Ministry of Planning; the Liberian Environment
Protection Agency;
v
the United Nations Habitat; The Lowee and Borpea Clans and Town Chiefs;
local NGO’s and CBOs including the Right to Play International. The meetings with village chiefs
and elders afforded the participants the opportunity to consider lessons of
the past in an effort to plan for the next five years, prioritizing their needs
and the actions required to reach their goals. Using the input from all of the
participants of the consultations, the Sustainable Village Model was drafted
and focuses on two of the four Pillars of the national Poverty Reduction
Strategy: Economic Revitalization (Pillar 2) and Infrastructure and Basic
Social Services (Pillar 4) which are discussed in detail in Part 2.
ESI employed a pragmatic methodology to determine the most effective means of addressing the
priority needs of the Gbehyi Chiefdom. This methodology was dependent upon empirical
evidence, case studies, and surveys and questionnaires that were administered in April 2008.
Empirical evidence for the selected locations of the Gbehyi Chiefdom included macro and micro
level data. Macro-data was derived from the Liberian Population and Housing Census 2008,
UNICEF, The World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, The United
Nations Millennium Development Goals, and USAID while regional data was derived from the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy,
and Liberia’s 2008 Population and Housing Census.
ESI and the Nimba County Caucus
Nimba County Mayors

8
Micro level data is limited to the Nimba County Development Agenda, the Nimba County
Information Pack, clinical reports from the village of Duyaee, a SWOT analysis of the region
(Appendix X: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), Adventist Development and
Relief Agency International (ADRA), and surveys and questionnaires administered by The Tufeia
Foundation in April 2008. Questionnaires and surveys were composed of:
Case Studies included the Sunstove Organization Project in South Africa and the implementation
of various Renewable Sources of Energy programs in the State of Andhra Pradesh by The Non-
Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NEDCAP).
The Gbehyi Chiefdom (which includes the rural town of Duayee and its 11 surrounding villages)
was chosen as an implementation site due to the prevalence of poverty, disease, malnutrition and
lack of basic services necessary for survival and sustainability. The Village Council asked ESI to
develop a system to address the priority needs of the Gbehyi Chiefdom, which include renewable
energy, clean water, clean air, education, sanitation, and food security. To address these needs,
ESI will renovate homes with solar power, composting toilets, and water cisterns. We will also
incorporate landscaping with edible plants, aquaponic fish farming, swamp rice, organic banana
and plantain farms, a bamboo plantation, solar cookers, and a jatropha farm for biofuel
production. These innovations will increase food security, provide clean air and water, provide
medical storage and sanitary medical working conditions, and manage human and other forms of
waste.
• Construction Related Questions for the Residents of the Gbehyi Chiefdom
• Health Care Questionnaires for Local Health Care Practitioners
• General Health Questionnaires for Community Members (These include eating
cooking habits)
• Questions Primarily for the Village Elders of the Gbehyi Chiefdom
• Questions regarding Water and Sanitation
• Questions for Community Members Related to Local Natural Resources

9
PART 2 - PRIORITIES, ISSUES, AND ACTIONSvi
The Government of Liberia has designed a poverty reduction strategy that includes four pillars:
Security, Economic Revitalization, Governance and Rule of Law, and Infrastructure and Basic
Services.
vii
The SVM will contribute positively to the successful implementation of Pillars II and IV
in rural areas: Economic Revitalization and Infrastructure and Basic Services.
The Gbheyi Chiefdom was chosen as an implementation site due to the prevalence of poverty,
disease, malnutrition and lack of basic services necessary for survival and sustainability. The
Village Council has asked ESI to develop a system to its priority needs: renewable energy, clean
water, clean air, sanitation, and food security. In response to the Council’s request, ESI
developed a Sustainable Village (SVM) Model in which appropriate green technology and local
resources are used to improve livelihoods by meeting basic needs and providing the opportunity
for micro-business growth and development. The model contains two pillars: (1) Sustainable
Renovations of Existing Village Homes and (2) the construction of a Sustainable Village Service
Center to oversee the implementation of new technologies and provide opportunities for micro-
business.
Liberia’s Strategic Framework: The Four Pillars
S Source: Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy

10
2.1 Development Priorities
2.1.1 District Priorities
Priorities common to all districts in Nimba include basic social service infrastructure: roads, heath
facilities and educational facilities. Fifty-one secondary roads were prioritized by all districts for
construction or rehabilitation, 51 health facilities and 49 educational facilities were also prioritized
by all districts. Other selected priorities include four WATSAN facilities, two district
headquarters/civil compounds and one Police Station.
2.1.2 County Priorities
The County priorities reflect a consolidation of district priorities. District representative groups met
on November 1-2, 2007 in Sanniquellie and ranked three out of seven priority needs identified by
districts as outcomes of five district consultation workshops. Priority needs included roads and
bridges, education, health, civil compound, police station, WATSAN/hand pumps and
agriculture/food security.
2.1.3 Gbehyi Chiefdom Priorities
The Village Council has asked ESI to develop a system to meet its priority needs: renewable
energy, education, health services, clean water, clean air, education, sanitation, and food security.
2.2 Infrastructure and Basic Services Pillar
As in the rest of Liberia, basic social services remain seriously challenged in Nimba. The
Government of Liberia, UN agencies, UNMIL and other development agencies are however,
making significant strides. Future power generation, safe water supplies and improved housing
facilities should support projected business and industry growth.
2.2.1 Health
There are currently 41 functioning clinics in Nimba County. Access to health care facilities for the
estimated population of 732,195 is 435:1.
viii
There are 526 Ministry of Health assigned health
workers serving at these facilities. Nurse aids constitute 21.2% of all health workers in the County,
followed by registered nurses (17%), and trained traditional midwives (13%). Doctors make up
only 0.9% of health workers in the County. In the Gbehyi Chiefdom, there is one clinic servicing
the entire population. The clinic has not been staffed since September 2007.

11
Functional Health Care Facilities in Nimba
Beginning in the fall of 2008, ESI Board of
Advisor member Gregg McNeil, M.D., will
embark on a one-year mission to Ganta, Nimba
County, to help build the capacity of the only
major hospital in the region, the Ganta United
Methodist Hospital. Dr. McNeil plans to set up
laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery centers
as well as training programs for surgeons and
technicians to learn new surgical techniques. He will also establish a rotational training
program for doctors from the US to travel to Liberia to learn austere, rural and tropical
medical techniques. He is currently negotiating with Pentax regarding future donations of
endoscope equipment.
ESI’s capacity-building project includes developing a dependable means of health-care
delivery to the Gbehyi Chiefdom amid an extreme shortage of providers. With the help of
Dr. McNeil, ESI is working to create a Community Health Aide Program (similar to the ones
used in Alaska and other United States Health Service programs) to supplement the
Ministry of Health’s current strategy to meet the health care needs of its citizens.

12
2.2.2 Air Quality
Cooking fires across Africa are projected to release about seven
billion tons of carbon in the form of greenhouse gases to the
environment by 2050, and about six percent of the total expected
greenhouse gases will come from Africa.
ix
More than 1.6 million
people, primarily women and children, die prematurely each year
from respiratory diseases caused by the pollution from such fires. Scientists estimate that smoke
from wood fires used for cooking will cause 10 million premature deaths among women and
children by 2030 in Africa.
x
According to the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andre Pradesh
(NEDCAP), one village in Andre Pradesh, India, saved 72 tons of firewood and reduced its carbon
dioxide emissions to 104 tons during the first year. Little effort was needed by the officials of
NEDCAP to motivate the village residents to go solar. The Sunstove Organisation in South Africa
has manufactured and promoted the Sunstove - a unique solar cooker - since 1992. It is a
thermally efficient solar cooker. The solar cooker has proven be to an acceptable alternative to
traditional cooking practices among its rural users.
xi
ESI intends to replace the conventional cooking practices (burning of wood, cow dung and
crop residues) with solar cookers and other integrated cooking methods in an effort to
reduce respiratory disease among women and children and to reduce carbon emissions in
this region.
2.2.3 Water and Sanitation
Access to acceptable level of sanitation and safe drinking water
sources is poor. Contamination of water supplies has led to
diarrhea and cholera outbreaks - two of the biggest child killers
in post-civil war Liberia. Diarrhea alone is responsible for 22%
of deaths in children under the age of five.
xii

13
Past efforts in Duyaee have included the construction of
water wells and exterior latrines by UNICEF, the European
Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Organization (ECHO) and
the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). In
2007, ADRA in coordination with ECHO renovated one well,
constructed two new wells, and installed hand pumps on
existing and new wells. In addition, 38 family latrines were
constructed. 12 community members were trained in well
maintenance and a committee was established to collect $5 Liberian monthly for the sole use of
purchasing parts needed for well maintenance.
Unfortunately, hand-pumped wells do not address the problem
in its entirety, as water is scarce during the dry season. ESI
will construct water catchments in the village and utilize UV
disinfection technology in order to provide the community with
safe clean water year-round. UV disinfection technology has
received much interest in the water industry since it was
demonstrated that UV radiation is very effective against
Cryptosporidium and Giardia, two pathogenic
microorganisms of major importance for the safety
of drinking water. The results of a recent study
show that UV is effective against all waterborne pathogens. Moreover, UV
irradiation demonstrates that the process is effective against all pathogenic
microorganisms relevant for current drinking water practices.
xiii
UV water
disinfection is inexpensive, user-friendly, and portable. With the use of solar
power, UV devices can be easily charged. Providing the community with a safe water
supply is critical to the survival of the Gbehyi Chiefdom.
2.2.4 Education
In Nimba County, there are 554 schools for a student population of
145,272 (53% male and 47% female). There are 34 upper secondary
schools and no formal multilateral/vocational/ college/university level
institutions in the County. Out of 4,114 schoolteachers in the region,
only 1,311 have been reactivated.
In the Gbehyi Chiefdom, there are several primary schools and only
one secondary school. Today, the secondary school is located in
Duayee and educates children and adults in grades K – 9. They
intend to add a grade a year and expect to be a fully functional K-12 school by 2011.
xiv

14
ESI is committed to providing solar panels to power the secondary school in the town of
Duayee within the Gbehyi Chiefdom. In terms of long-term educational benefits, the
provision of solar power will allow night school programs to operate more efficiently after
dark, programs that include not only academic education, but also vocational training,
HIV/AIDS education, sex education and self-defense classes. This will increase access to
information for both children and adults who work on the farms during the day. Moreover,
thanks to satellite technology, Duayee will be “on line” in the very near future and will enjoy
all of the instructional benefits the World Wide Web has to offer. Moreover, a school
equipped with solar power and internet technology will allow local farmers to be trained in
new farming, seed, and grain storage techniques, and will allow children to enjoy access to
educational materials not previously available to them.
2.2.5 Food Security
Increased investment in human capacity is essential to accelerate food security improvements and
to increase employment opportunities for village children and adults. In agricultural areas, there is a
direct link between education and the ability of farmers to adopt more advanced technologies and
crop-management techniques and to achieve higher rates of return on land.
xv
Moreover, education
encourages movement into other types of work, thus increasing household income. Most
importantly, women’s education affects nearly every dimension of development, from lowering
fertility rates to raising productivity and improving environmental management. One cannot
separate food security from the larger need of education for women and girls.
In order to achieve food security, ESI will construct dry grain
storage and food drying systems. Solar food dryers can easily
be utilized to dry grain harvests prior to storage. Solar food
dryers are incredibly cheap, efficient, and hygienic.
xvi
They
also produce healthy products as grains are dried at optimum
temperatures for a short amount of time. This enables them
to retain more of their nutritional value such as vitamin C.
Foods dried in solar dryers look and taste better, which enhances their marketability and
hence provides better financial returns for the farmers.
xvii
Farmers as well as village
children will be trained in these technologies.
Appropriately sized, low-cost dryers and food processing units are easily integrated into
rural areas and can operate without interruption. At the village level, local farmers who want
to process their surplus crops into acceptable and marketable food items can utilize low-
cost but efficient dryers for their operations. In addition, villages that utilize these
techniques are truly sustainable -- they combine abundant food production and the

15
generation of much-needed income with the use of solar techniques, which both protect
and improve the natural environment over the long term.
2.2.6 Electricity
There is no grid system in Nimba, and only a minority of the
population has access to electricity. The Yah River has the
potential to provide hydropower generation to the Gbehyi
Chiefdom, but production would be seasonal –
approximately 7/12 months out of the year. At present,
individuals and villages produce power with small privately
owned generators. This is very costly and contributes to the high cost of goods and services.
ESI’s SVM addresses the critical need of power. Solar panels will initially be provided for
schools, the home of the Paramount Chief, and the clinic.
xviii
We are currently working with
the Environment Foundation of Africa and the Solar Electric Light Fund in an effort to
provide maintenance training to the villagers as well as developing a payment scheme
similar to the one developed for the hand-pumped wells discussed in section 2.2.3.
2.2.7 Housing
Within the Gbehyi Chiefdom, there is a definite need to develop sustainable housing. Houses are
without window coverings and the majority lack adequate screening. Houses are constructed for
shelter rather than efficiency, safety, or health.
ESI partner, the ECOSA Institute of Prescott Arizona, has agreed to assist in the design of
sustainable homes for the Gbehyi Chiefdom. Such homes will utilize protective screens,
mosquito nets, water catchments and UV disinfection, self-composting toilets, solar
cookers and eco-stoves. Homes will be constructed using local resources, such as mud
brick and bamboo. ESI has also partnered with ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger
Organization) who will aid in the design of edible landscaping systems. Moreover, ECOSA
has agreed to provide a partial scholarship to a member of our implementing in-country
partner, The Tufeia Foundation, so that they are equipped with the skills necessary to
oversee such a project.

16
2.3 Economic Revitalization Pillar
The local economy is primarily based on subsistence agriculture and informal sector activities,
such as trading in dry goods, used clothing and food staple such as cassava, palm oil and
vegetables. The majority of income generated is used for food, school expenses, clothing and
heath care. Timber and rubber are the most important cash crops in the County, though currently
produced well below potential. There are also ample natural endowments of iron ore, gold and
diamonds.
As timber sanctions are lifted, this sector is expected to attract additional investment and create
jobs. The construction of new roads and the rehabilitation of existing roads will help to open up
the interior, introduce modern facilities and stimulate settlement. ESI’s economic revitalization
pillar utilizes the region’s abundant natural resource as well as agriculture practices. ESI’s
economic growth strategies also target the informal sector, especially women, and will enable
them to shift to more profitable ventures through training, technology, and better market
information. See appendix II for a complete list of ESI’s proposed micro-businesses.
2.3.1 Natural Resources
Timber
Nimba County hosts many tree species that produce precious timber, formerly one of the most
important sources of employment and income to the people. Timber exploitation was halted with
the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, and the Government of Liberia cancelled all
concession agreements for timber. Nimba County’s tropical forest is threatened with
indiscriminate exploitation of forest products either for export or for domestic use, extinction of
rare species of trees, shifting or nomadic cultivation that leads to the destruction of the forest.
More environmentally- and labor-friendly agreements with new concessionaires are anticipated.
ESI will instruct members of the Gbheyi Chiefdom on the many uses of bamboo, an
abundant resource in the area whose removal does not threaten protected areas. Bamboo
can be used to construct homes and buildings and to manufacture textiles and is easily
traded in local, regional, national, and international markets.
ESI in collaboration with Buchanan Renewable Energy, Inc. is working to develop
appropriate biofuel technologies using biomass (from dead rubber trees and landscape
waste products), algae, cellulosic ethanol, and jatropha tree (a small and previously
unused plant) in mass amounts for biofuel. ASU has many resources available to ESI in
this regard including a bio-fuel project conducted by Dr. Milt Sommerfeld at the
Polytechnic Campus.

17
Tourism
Because Nimba has many attractive mountains, valleys, and waterways, investment in tourism
has serious economic growth potential. Such investment must however be well planned to
consider the infrastructure needs. Nimba attracts over 500,000 visitors annually, but the County
lacks any hospitality services, despite the availability of competitive human and local material
resources. In The Gbehyi Chiefdom, tourism potential will be harnessed with the construction of
guest houses, recreational centers, and restaurants and will showcase traditional culture and
green innovations (solar power and cooking methods, water catchments, green structures, edible
landscape systems, and bio-research facilities).
2.3.2 Agriculture
Subsistence farming is currently the main source of income of the people of Nimba. Apart from
small agricultural projects undertaken by some youth and women’s associations and other NGOs,
there is not yet any large-scale farming in the County. The typical farming pattern is slash-and-
burn and annual bush fallowing. The main food products are rice, cassava, plantain, banana, yam,
and sweet potatoes. Some 75% of farm produce is used for family consumption
Cash crop production of rubber trees, cocoa, sugar cane and coffee is the other main source of
income in the County. The cultivation of 13,500 hectares of tree crops will eventually lead to
economic growth through sale of products, value addition and job creation.
ESI intends to train local farmers on crop management and rotation and
introduce appropriate seed varieties in order to increase higher yields of return
on their harvests. ESI will provide the initial investment of plants for edible
landscaping systems as well as large-scale farming, including winged beans,
katuk, root crops (taro, cassava, sweet potatoes, and yams), tropical fruits
(bananas, jackfruit, and coconuts) and cash crops (cacao, cinnamon, palm,
moringa, and jatropha trees). In addition, we will also construct dry storage
units and introduce solar dryers to the region.
2.3.3 The Sustainable Village Service Center
ESI will construct a Sustainable Village Center (SVSC)
in Duayee, the heart of the Gbheyi Chiefdom. SVSC is
the backbone of the SVM. The purpose of the SVSC is
to provide economic stability for the Gbeyhi Chiefdom
through the provision of consulting and funding
services for the creation of micro-businesses. These
businesses include agribusiness, medicinal plant

18
nurseries, edible food production, Internet Cafés, waste management, biofuel research,
water collection and harvesting, and bamboo harvesting (see Appendix II). Local staff will
operate the SVSC and will provide blueprints and products for implementation of
sustainable renovations. Members of ESI Liberia and the Tufeia Foundation will train SVSC
staff members in the use , maintenance, and repair of sustainable technology.
The SVSC will be constructed by the villagers using local natural
resources, such as mud brick and bamboo. Bamboo is abundant in
the region and can be used as a sound construction material as well
as for flooring, matting, and furniture. The structure will incorporate
many different bamboo styles and will be furnished with bamboo
furniture in order to emphasize its variable uses. Moreover, ESI in
cooperation with local farmers and plantation owners will form a co-
op to grow bamboo for use in construction and furniture. Because
the Gbehyi Chiefdom is surrounded by swamplands, bamboo can be
grown and harvested while maintaining the biodiversity of the surrounding jungle and
forests. Bamboo is also a high value commodity on the global market. Growing and
harvesting of bamboo will serve as an additional income source for the village. In
addition, the use of bamboo will provide a replacement source for the use of timber in
Liberia’s quickly disappearing forests due to deforestation. Consequently, deforestation
is greatly decreased.
The SVSC’s shell will be made of mud brick. Initially
bricks will be produced in the traditional hand-pressed
manner. However, once increased community revenues
are realized, a brick compressor can be purchased and
used to make bricks. Compressors can produce
approximately 200 bricks per day. At this rate, bricks
can be exported for additional revenue. The SVSC’s
roof will be made of concrete rather than imported metal
sheeting. Micro-concrete roofing machines utilize sand,
mud, and cement, all of which are readily available.
ESI will act as a broker, partnering with like-minded nonprofits and NGOs to gain access to
current appropriate technologies and make these available to Duayee villagers. The
Sustainable Village Model aids in the progress of Liberia’s Interim Poverty Reduction
Strategy (PRS). This model will meet goals stated by the PRS by creating basic community
infrastructure, establishing micro-enterprise, stimulating export sectors, and revitalizing
the economy.

19
2.4 Cross-Cutting Issues
In the public consultations that led to the development of the Nimba County’s Community
Development Agenda and the Poverty Reduction Strategy, participants managed to identify several
cross-cutting themes for consideration in implementing local and national development plans,
including Gender Equity; HIV and AIDS; and Children and Youth. As part of the effort to mainstream
these issues into ESI’s development initiatives, this section lays out the context and objectives for
each.
2.4.1 Gender Equity
ESI is strongly committed to gender equity as a means to maintain peace, reduce poverty, enhance
justice and promote development. Despite progress made since the end of the war, gender
continues to play a decisive role in determining access to resources and services. Women and girls
have limited access to education, health services and judicial services, which severely curtails their
participation in the formal economy. Women and girls have been missing out on opportunities and
participation in management and decision-making on all levels of the society. This trend has
contributed to feminization of poverty in the County, and in Liberia as a whole.
Sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) is blight on Liberian society and for many Liberian women
and girls. The violence experienced during wartime has not subsided. Rape is the most frequently
reported violent crime in Liberia. In 2007, 38% of the protection cases reported by United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees and National Refugee Center monitors were SGBV related and
reports from 2008 show similar trend. Domestic violence is endemic and Liberia has among the
highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the world. Destruction of institutions during the war affected all
Liberians, but particularly limited women’s and girls’ access to education. Today, the ratio of girls’ to
boys’ enrolment is 95/100 in primary schools, 75/100 in secondary schools, and twice as many
women as men are illiterate. Despite the laws recognizing equality of the sexes, customary law and
practices prevail, some of which are harmful to women and girls.
The SVM attacks the problem of SGBV and GBV head on.
ESI has developed a self-defense program based on the
principals of Go-Ju, a form of Karate which utilizes both
“hard and soft” self-defense techniques. The Go-Ju
philosophy of martial arts stresses dignity, self-respect
and self-discipline; respect for others and the natural
environment; and the balance and harmony of the various
aspects of self, environment, and interaction with others
(the very essence of sustainability). Because this specific form of Karate is well suited for
people of all sizes and ages, ESI believes that the use Goju techniques in conjunction with
other self-defense techniques will empower the most vulnerable populations in Liberia. ESI

20
is continually developing its GBV awareness and education programs and its self-defense
programs.
ESI is also negotiating with the Right to Play International to develop Peace-Through-Sport
programs and after-school programs that will teach youth, both male and female, the ideals
of fair play, tolerance, self-discipline, and self-respect as well as respect for their fellow
man and the environment.
2.4.2 HIV and AIDS
HIV and AIDS are major challenges as the epidemic has the potential to slow the progress of
many initiatives meant to build much-needed human capital and revitalize the economy. In an
effort to combat this trend, citizens must be provided the skills and knowledge to halt the spread of
HIV and to minimize its impact. Integrating HIV/AIDS education into poverty reduction strategies
helps create the necessary policy and planning environment for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral
response. While no County-specific data is available, a 2007 DHS estimates national HIV
prevalence at 1.5 percent, or 1.8 percent for females and 1.2 percent for males. A previous
estimate of 5.7 percent was based on the results of sentinel surveillance among pregnant women
and girls attending ten antenatal care (ANC) clinics in urban areas. Future studies will seek to
reconcile these seemingly disparate findings. In any event, the war left most of the population
severely challenged in meeting their social, cultural and economic needs, thereby making them
vulnerable to a sharp increase in HIV prevalence, the likely result of which would be a negative
impact on development: increased child and adult morbidity and mortality, increased absenteeism
at the workplace and in schools, and lower economic output, among other effects.
By strengthening the health infrastructure at the village level, the SVM works to promote
human development by reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS vulnerability, morbidity and
mortality through education and training programs. County health authorities will
participate in the development and implementation of the Community Health Aide program,
thereby reducing new HIV infections through the provision of education and increased
access to treatment and care services while mitigating the impact of the epidemic on those
already infected and affected.

21
2.4.3 Children and Youth
Nimba County is committed to reducing and laying the
groundwork for eliminating child poverty. Children are at high
risk of becoming the next generation of impoverished citizens
unless substantive measures are taken to break the
intergenerational cycle of poverty. Poverty reduction efforts
must have children at the core. Children make up the majority
of the population of the County. Nationally, around 17 percent
of child deaths are attributable to malaria and another 20
percent to preventable environmental diseases such as
diarrhea and cholera. Almost forty percent of children are
growth-stunted from poor nutrition, about one third of under-
fives are severely underweight, and recent estimates indicate
that one in five deaths in children under-five is attributable to malnutrition. Less than half of all births
are delivered by a health professional, which contributes to an unacceptably high (and apparently
rising) maternal mortality rate. Furthermore, young female citizens suffer the brunt of the epidemic of
gender based violence (GBV). The majority of girls have their first child before reaching the age of 18
due to forced early marriages and rape.
As outlined above, ESI’s SVM model addresses all of these concerns and, once incorporated,
should result in improved health and well being, increased gains in education, decreased
poverty, and decreases in maternal mortality rates, diseases, and GBV.

22
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Population below PPP $1 per day (%): N/A
Children under 5 who are moderately or severely underweight (%): 26.4
Population living below the national poverty line (%): N/A
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Net enrolment ratio in primary education (% both sexes): 65.7
Percentage of pupils starting Grade 1 and reach Grade 5 (% both sexes): N/A
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Gender parity Index in primary level enrolment (ratio of girls to boys): 0.7
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old (% both sexes): 67.4
Seats held by women in national parliament (%): 12.5
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Mortality rate of children under 5 years old (per 1,000 live births): 235
1-year-old children immunized against measles (%): 94
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 births): 760
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
People living with HIV,15-49 yrs old (%): 5.1
Prevalence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people): 507
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Land area covered by forest (%): 32.7
Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (metric tons): 0.1401
Access to improved drinking water sources (% of total population): 61
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
Internet users (per 100 people): 0.0
Youth unemployment rate, ages 15-24, both sexes : N/A
Liberia 2004 UN MDG Report
Part 3 - ESI and the UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) are a set of
eight goals established by the
international community in
response to the world’s major
development challenges.
They were established in
2000 and normally use 1990
as the benchmark for
measuring progress for a
period of 25 years: 1990-
2015.
Achieving the MDGs will be a
challenge for many
developing countries, but it
will be even more difficult for
Liberia due to the legacy of
the war. While most countries
were making at least some
progress toward the MDGs
between 1990 and 2003,
Liberia was moving
dramatically backwards and
losing the capacity needed to
achieve the MDGs. All of
Liberia’s indicators were
worse in 2000 than they were
in 1990.
Thus, to achieve any of the
MDGs, Liberia must make
larger gains in a shorter period of time than almost any other country. Nevertheless, the
Government has been making steady progress toward the MDGs through a series of policies

23
implemented in the 150-Day Action Plan and the PRS (see Appendix VI for a discussion of
Liberia and the UN MDGs).
ESI’s Sustainable Village Model will facilitate movement toward meeting the all eight of the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Successful implementation of the model will
decrease extreme poverty and hunger in rural regions through the implementation of local
economic development, improvements in crop management techniques, and increased food
security; improve the quality of education via internet capability and investment in human
capacity; promote gender equality and empower women by providing opportunities for
participation in micro-business and the provision of gender-based violence programs; reduce
child mortality and improve maternal health through the provision of community health aids;
combat malaria and other diseases through the provision of clean water, clean air, the
construction of safe, sustainable homes and health and sex education programs; ensure
environmental sustainability by working in harmony with the natural environment; and develop
global partnerships for development.

24
Part 4 – ESI and the WORLD BANK’S APPROACH TO
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
According to Rodrigues-Pose and Tijmstra’s 2005 report to the World Bank, “The combination of
strong internal heterogeneity with general trends similar to those experienced elsewhere in the
world make Local Economic Development (LED) strategies as likely to succeed in [Africa] as in
most other low- and middle-income countries. LED can thus be considered as a complement or
an alternative to existing development strategies on the Continent.”
xix
In Africa, LED often fails because it is identified with self-reliance, survival, and poverty alleviation
rather than participation in the global economy, competitiveness, and finding market niches. It is
imperative that LED in Liberia combines both the economic and social dimensions of LED. The
Sustainable Village Model does just this. Our focus on sustainability includes self-reliance,
survival and poverty alleviation while making sure that residents find market niches (see Appendix
II) so that they are competitive in local, national, and global markets.
Moreover, the success of the LED process is dependent on cooperation between the local
government and other local stakeholders. The ability of local governments to encourage
participation among a variety of stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of public
policies, as well as the pre-existence of formal and informal organizations of key local
stakeholders with which local governments can liaise, will greatly impact the success of LED
strategies.
xx
SJEDI and ESI intend to work in partnership with the Government of Liberia, local
and international businesses, and local and international NGOs. We also intend to facilitate
cooperation among stakeholders.

25
Part 5 - MARKET STRATEGY
5.1 Market Analysis
ESI’s Sustainable Village Model is marketed to rural Liberia. In this market segment, the poverty
rate is above 80%, access to clean water is less than 4%, and the illiteracy rate is over 82%. In
The Gbehyi Chiefdom, there are approximately 4,300 individuals of an average age of 18.1. The
primary activity of the residents of The Gbehyi Chiefdom is subsistence farming. Market structure
is small and subsistence-based given that average income is below $200. No one in the village is
employed by the formal sector, some work in the informal sector, but most work in the
subsistence agricultural sector. The villagers have expressed strong interest in creating
sustainable income and providing clean water and electricity through green technology. The
village council has requested implementation of the sustainable village model as well as the
consulting services of the ESI for implementing the model and creating associated businesses
and industry.
The village infrastructure is very weak. The majority of homes are cement and sand structures
with rusted tin roofs. They have no screens and few windows. There is a small clinic which was
formerly open Monday through Friday. The clinic primarily treated Malaria and provided midwives
for childbirth. The clinic, which operates without basic supplies and little electricity, has been
unstaffed since September 2007. There is a single, nine-room school house serving grades K-9.
The school will serve grades K-12 by 2011. The school has no electricity for computers or night
classes. Night classes are conducted with lanterns and flashlights.
Liberia has an abundance of trees, water, food sources, minerals, and entrepreneurial spirit. In
order to achieve true sustainable, the villagers need only sustainable concepts and sound
management. ESI can meet these needs.
5.2 Market Structure
Although many NGOs currently work in Liberia, no other NGO is has developed a completely
comprehensive approach to sustainability and autonomy. While there is no direct competition with
the SVM, there is much potential for cooperation. Other organizations such as UN, USAID, the
World Bank as well as international NGOs can easily be integrated into this endeavor. ESI hopes
to bring together International NGOs and bilateral aid agencies to make the SVM a reality.

26
To provide materials to this market, ESI will utilize it’s partnership with local implanting NGO, the
Tufeia foundation. ESI will purchase and ship materials from suppliers to ESI Liberia (ESIL) and
the Tufeia foundation, which will then build the SVSC and renovate homes.
5.3 Sales Strategy
Once the model structures are built, ESI will sponsor showcase events for the surrounding village
chiefs, business leaders, government officials, and individuals, to tour the model facilities and
explain the products and services available. ESI will also solicit partners and potential expansion
sites. Staffing requirements and local office sites will be initially determined by the level of interest
for neighboring villages and the technical requests received. We intend to expand regionally
while moderating the degree of business development to ensure successful business modeling
prior to expansion.
5.4 Project Time Lime
STAGE 1: May 2008 [Completed]
The first phase consists of questionnaires and surveys that are composed of:
• Construction Related Questions for the Residents of The Gbehyi Chiefdom
• Health Care Questionnaires for Local Health Care Practitioners
• General Health Questionnaires for Community Members (These include eating and
cooking habits)
• Questions Primarily for the Village Elders of The Gbehyi Chiefdom
• Questions regarding Water and Sanitation (including data collection of water samples)
• Questions for Community Members Related to Local Natural Resources (Resources that
might be used as alternative energy sources in conjunction with solar energy)
STAGE 2: November 2008
The second phase of the SC includes sending a physician to Liberia in order to improve access to
health care in rural Liberia. Our visiting physician, Dr. Gregg McNeil, will spend one year in-
country and will
• Develop a Community Health Aide Program
• Introduce ESI’s CHA Program to the Ministry of Health
• Train CHA’s to service the Gbheyi Chiefdom
• Establish a laporoscopic and endoscopic surgery center
• Train local practitioners in current laporoscopic and endoscopic surgical techniques

27
STAGE 3: January 2009
Phase three involves the introduction of solar devices and agricultural improvements. We will
STAGE 4: September 2008 – August 2009
Stage four involves designing model mud-brick home using building design (CAD) software to
perfect design concepts and develop blueprints and guidelines for eventual export.
STAGE 5: January 2010
Stage five is the construction phase of the SVM. In January of 2010, we will
STAGE 6: June 2010 – January 2012
Stage six involves the renovation of 20 chiefdom homes and the funding of 15 micro-businesses
(See annex for a comprehensive list of micro businesses).
STAGE 7: January 2012 - Onward
Replicate model throughout the developing world.
Install solar generation devices on the village school, medical clinic, and the home
of the village Chief
Solar devices will provide lighting and power for future internet capability, an
essential element of today’s learning environment. Internet access will assist in
decreasing the learning gap and increasing human capacity through IT technology
The clinic currently utilizes one solar panel with a generator backup for the
refrigeration of medications and vaccines
Additional panels will allow clinicians to work in the evenings and perform minor
out-patient procedures
Solar Power will enable visiting surgeons to conduct safe and hygienic surgery
Introduce Integrated Cooking Methods
Introduce UV Water Sanitation / Water Reclamation
Introduce crop management techniques
Introduce new seeds to local farmers and plantation owners
Construct the Sustainable Village Service Center in Duayee (which will the twelve
villages that comprise the Gbheyi Chiefdom) with the assistance of our
implementation partner, the Liberia-based NGO, the Tufeia Foundation
Sponsor a showcase project in Duayee
Renovate Paramount Chief’s Quarter

28
5.4 Barriers to Entry
We are actively addressing the following barriers to entry:
Logistics: Because the project area is located overseas, problems in implementation can
easily arise. In regard to this challenge, ESI is partnering with an NGO in Liberia called Tufeia
Foundation that will implement the project and members of ESI will visit the village periodically
to check on progress.
Lack of Infrastructure: Because roads and bridges remain derelict, material transportation is
difficult. ESI is purchasing the majority of its supplies from nearby African countries and
delivering them to the project area via our own 4WD vehicle.
Corruption: Although corruption is endemic in government institutions, ESI is working closely
with the village council and district senators to limit corruption as we move forward with the
implementation the project. Council members and senators have agreed to keep corrupt
legislators at a distance.
Start-up Costs Associated with the Project: In order to be effective, we must make initial
investments in solar panels, vehicles, seeds, construction materials, and labor. However, once
the project has begun, payback schemes and micro-finance systems will be affected, and
villagers will have the ability to financially sustain themselves. Although the initial investment in
The Gbehyi Chiefdom will be great, the eventual rise of micro-businesses and their associated
revenues will eliminate the need for further infrastructural investment.
Civil War: Because Liberia’s stability remains fragile, the possibility of civil war remains a
reality. ESIs SVM model is adaptable to many other African countries, and in the event of a
civil war, the project will be moved to Ghana.

29
Part 6 - BUDGET/FINANCE
6.1 Budget/Funding
ESI will apply for funds from grant making institutions to cover the cost of stages one and two.
Funding for stages 3, 4, and 5 will be derived from microfinance partners such as EcoBank,
Kiva.org, Grameen Bank, the Government of Liberia, and others. Funding will also come from
organization such as USAID, SELF, NCIIA, UNDP, UNEP, UNICEF, the World Bank, IMF, and
American Jewish World Service. In addition, ESI will accept land as payment for services. This
land will be put into trust and will be used in coordination with an integrated Conservation Plan
that ESI will develop with local government and community leaders.
Column1 Column2
STAGE 1:
Village assessment travel expenses $4,000.00
CAD Software $600.00
Marketing $1,000.00
General supplies $300.00
Model design costs $1,000.00
Voice and Data $200.00
Legal fees $800.00
Total Expenses Phase 1 $7,900.00
$0.00
$500.00
$1,000.00
$1,500.00
$2,000.00
$2,500.00
$3,000.00
$3,500.00
$4,000.00 STAGE 1:
Village assessment travel
expenses
CAD Software
Marketing
Generalsupplies
Modeldesigncosts
Voice andData
Legalfees

30
Additional funding for phases 3-5 will be provided by grants and revenues from micro-businesses
created. Please see Appendix III for ESI’s five year financial forecast.
STAGE 2: Column1
Solar Cooker $177
Solar Oven (x2) $450
Materials to build composting toilet (x2) $1,500
Solar panels and wiring (x2) $20,000
Mudbrick $1,000
Bamboo $1,000
Cistern (x2) 3,000
Voice and data $200
GIS Equipment (lease) $500
Training of 3 Liberians $4,000
Travel Expenses $6,000
4x4 Vehicle (used) $9,000
Shipping $5,000
Stipend for Dr. McNeil $10,000
TOTAL COST: $61,827
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
STAGE 2:
Solar Cooker
Solar Oven (x2)
Materials to build composting toilet
(x2)
Solar panels and wiring (x2)
Mudbrick
Bamboo
Cistern (x2)
Voice and data
GIS Equipment (lease)
Training of 3 Liberians
Travel Expenses
4x4 Vehicle (used)
Shipping
Stipend for Dr. McNeil

31
6.2 Return on Investment Potential
6.2.1 FINANCIAL IMPACT
ESIs SVM model will provide autonomy and sustainability in rural areas. Upon completion of the
SVM in the Gbehyi Chiefdom, the village council and related businesses can determine their
levels of food security, their minimum consumption basket indexes, and storage rations. Excess
food and grain can be exported for much needed revenue. This strategy will lead to sustainable
growth and good management practices as well as a renewed stewardship for the environment.
It is this growth that will lead to the alleviation of poverty and economic opportunities for even
those living in very rural areas, but also applies to denser urban areas.
6.2.2 RETURN ON INVESTMENT
ESI expects to renovate four additional houses in the first six months following initial renovations
and construction of the Sustainable Village Service Center. With the addition of solar energy,
swamp rice production, and edible plants, ESI expects to increase the income of each renovated
house by 150% which will in turn provide increases in food security. Within its first six months, the
SVSC will provide start-up costs for five micro-businesses such as aquaculture, water harvesting,
waste management, and/or bamboo harvesting.
Within the first 12 months ESI expects to renovate an additional 6 houses with sustainable
technology and provide start-up costs for 7 micro-businesses. In the first 18 months ESI expects
to renovate a total of 20 houses, create 15 micro-businesses, and install solar power in the clinic
as well as the local school.
6.2.3 EXIT STRATEGY
Once the SVM is designed and implemented, it will be exported to surrounding villages and cities.
Businesses created by the villages or in association with the villages will continue to expand and
grow. ESI will continue its consulting and training functions and will train an associate capable of
overseeing and training SVSC staff.

32
Part 7 - ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
7.1 Management
ESI is a non-profit registered 501(3)(C) corporation whose mission is to empower individuals
by promoting sustainable development in their communities.
ESI works with communities in Liberia to provide solutions to crippling urban and rural problems
such as poor water quality, air quality, shelter, medical, energy, and waste management. In
designing its projects, ESI has partnered with the Environment Foundation of Africa, ECHO,
SJedi, the ECOSA Institute of Arizona, and our local implementing NGO, the Tufeia Foundation
of Liberia.
7.2 The Team
President
Peter Gbelia is a graduate student in the School of Sustainability’s (SOS) MA
program and a proud graduate of the US Air Force Academy, class of 1993.
Currently, he is a C-17 Pilot with the 313th AS, AFRC, and also flies
commercially as a 737 First Officer (FO) for Alaska Airlines. Peter is a LEED
Accredited (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and also HERS
Certified (Home Energy Rater System). In addition to his accreditations, he
founded the Empowerment Society International (ESI) with the goal of introducing Sustainable
Development to the war torn regions of Africa. It is his true belief and goal that sustainability is
essential to the growth and survival of these devastated regions.
Project Manager
Dee Dee Vicino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from
Florida Atlantic University in 1988. She completed her Master of Arts Degree
in Liberal Arts at Duke University in 2006 and was also awarded a Graduate
Certificate from the Program for International Development Policy (PDIP) from
the Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University. Ms. Vicino has been
involved with projects related to human trafficking of women and girls, child
labor, and indigenous issues. She has also served on Boards of Directors for
homeless and foster care organizations in Broward County and was a Guardian Ad Litem for six
years. Her adult life has been dedicated to fighting for the rights of vulnerable populations and
she is committed to expanding the scope of that fight to the international arena. Ms. Vicino was
formerly the Vice President and Director of Love in Motion-Global (LIMG) and served as the

33
Project Manager for all development and education programs initiated by LIMG in Liberia. She
resides in Fort Lauderdale Florida with her two children, Shelby and Hannah.
Advisor
Mark Henderson is Professor of Industrial Engineering at Arizona State University.
He received an M.S. degree in biomechanical engineering and the Ph.D. in
mechanical engineering (CAD) from Purdue University. Henderson was named a
Presidential Young Investigator from 1985-90 and is co-author of the textbook,
Computer-Integrated Design and Manufacturing. His major research includes 60
papers in computer-aided design and global engineering, and he serves on the
editorial board of The Journal of Computer-Aided Design (CAD). He founded the
ASU Global Engineering Design Team, a multi-disciplinary, multi-country design
experience for undergraduates. He is co-director of the five-college Partnership for
Research in Spatial Modeling (PRISM) and was one of the founding faculty of the Department of
Engineering at Polytechnic campus. As part of a multi-university collaboration on student mobility, he
began the Nomadic Academy in 2004, a summer study-abroad program in design and
manufacturing with Penn State, University of Washington, University of Leeds (UK), IUT Bethune
(France), Ecole Centrale Lyon (France) and University of Navarra (Spain). Henderson is also co-
director of the InnovationSpace, a new approach to trans-disciplinary product development and
entrepreneurship with the schools of engineering, business, design and graphic design. Henderson's
interests extend across typical disciplinary boundaries and include global design teams, innovative
product design, computer graphics, CAD and rapid prototyping.
Local Implementer
The Tufeia Foundation is a local non-governmental organization
that was organized and accredited in 2004. Tufeia has since the
been involved with youth Empowerment through, training
seminars/workshops, basic skills training, health awareness for
adolescence, child participation and protection After school
program for school going children, computer literacy training
programs and the provision of scholarship to limited number of school going children. It has been a
difficult task matching the many pressing needs to the available limited resources. Thus, Tufeia has
operated, over the years, under very strenuous circumstances.

34
Reverend Caleb Dormah received a MS in Math from the
University of Liberia in 1985. Reverend Dormah also attended the
Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary and holds a bachelor's
degree in Religious Education. He has worked with children and
youth for the past 21 years. In 2003, the United Methodist Church
at the Liberia Annual Conference asked Rev. Dormah to
expand his ministry to include displaced members of the
community in Ganta Nimba County. Community building is now
the focus of his work.

36
7.5 Collaborating Organizations, Institutions, and Individuals
Tony Brown

37
Part 8 - Concluding Remarks
The Gebheyi Chiefdom was chosen as an implementation site due to the prevalence of poverty,
disease, malnutrition and lack of basic services necessary for survival and sustainability. The Village
Council asked ESI to develop a system to address the priority needs of the chiefdom which include
renewable energy, clean water, clean air, sanitation, and food security. To address these needs, ESI
renovate homes with solar power, composting toilets, and water cisterns. We will also incorporate
edible landscaping systems, aquaponic fish farming, and solar cookers. These renovations will
increase food security, provide clean air and water, provide medical storage and sanitary medical
working conditions, and manage human and other forms of waste.
In response to the Council’s request, ESI developed a Sustainable Village Model in which
appropriate green technology and local resources are used to improve livelihoods by meeting basic
needs and providing the opportunity for micro-business growth and development. The model
contains two pillars: (1) Sustainable Renovations of Existing Village Homes and (2) the construction
of a Sustainable Village Service Center to oversee the implementation of new technologies and
provide opportunities for micro-business.
Because it was determined that solar power would meet the priority needs of the Gbehyi Chiefdom,
the first phase of sustainable renovations of existing village homes will include the introduction of
solar cookers to cook fish, chicken, meat, grains, and vegetables and to purify water, solar dryers to
preserve food for future use and sale at market, and solar panels to provide electricity for the clinic,
school, library, and the home of the Village Chief.
The purpose of the Sustainable Village Service Center is to provide economic stability for the Gbehyi
Chiefdom through the provision of consulting and funding services for the development of micro-
businesses. These businesses include agribusiness, medicinal plant nurseries, edible food
production, Internet Cafés, waste management, biofuel research, water collection and harvesting,
and bamboo harvesting (see Appendix II).
Moreover, the Sustainable Village Model supports Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy by providing
basic services as well as economic revitalization and infrastructure. ESI is currently in negotiations
with SELF (Solar Electric and Lighting Foundation) to provide funding for the solar portion of the
sustainable village concept. We have contacted the Sustainable Village Institute for technical and
business development support for designing and creating the necessary products that will be
required in the village model. We are also consulting with Solar Cookers International regarding solar
cooking, water pasteurization, integrated cooking methods, micro-business opportunities, and
sustainable solutions for rural communities. Finally, ASU’s Global Resolve is assisting us with
business development plans to create local business plans that will be paired with the sustainable
village operation.

38
ESI’s Sustainable Village Model will contribute to improved livelihoods and autonomous, self-
sustaining villages. Those living in renovated homes and participating villages are expected to
demonstrate increased food security, improved health (due to clean water and waste management),
and access to solar-generated electricity. The creation of the SVSC will create micro-businesses that
will increase family income thereby increasing consumption and improving the quality of life. As home
renovations spread and micro-businesses are created, The Gbehyi Chiefdom will experience
increased employment and income, improved health conditions, and decreased poverty.

40
APPENDIX II: Potential Micro-businesses
Potential businesses include:
Agribusiness
We will focus on three types of agribusinesses: swamp rice production combined with fish farming and fish
harvesting and urban farming. ESI is working with the Resource Centers for Urban Agriculture and Food
Security (ruaf.org) to obtain the necessary technical support to conduct integrated urban farming within the
sustainable village concept. ASU has many resources available to ESI including Professor Narciso Macia’s
“Mini-aquaponic” fish farming system.
Medicinal Plant Nursery
Because medicinal plants are abundant in the region, we will encourage villagers to seed and harvest such
plants and sell them at local and global markets.
Edible Food Production
Solar dryers will enable local business to pack and vacuum seal fresh meats and vegetables for storage and
sale locally and at market.
Internet Café / Business Center
This will allow individuals to obtain industry-related knowledge and increase educational opportunities as well
as conduct business using computers and modern software.
Waste Management
Village businesses will collect and sort rubbish. This rubbish will be used for alternate energy production;
electricity generation, and the production of handbags, garments, hay baskets, countertops and flooring.
Biofuel Research
Biofuel research businesses will work with Buchanan Renewable Energy, Inc. to develop appropriate biofuel
technologies using biomass (from dead rubber trees and landscape waste products), algae, cellulosic
ethanol, and jatropha tree (a small and previously unused plant) in mass amounts for biofuel. ASU has many
resources available to ESI in this regard including a bio-fuel project conducted by Dr. Milt Sommerfeld at the
Polytechnic Campus (http://asunews.asu.edu/20080125_algae).)
Water Collection and Harvesting
With the utilization of water management technology and individual homes as water collectors with cistern
storage devices, water can be collected, stored, packed and sold, especially to communities and individuals
without clean sources of water. UV disinfection will ensure the purity of collected and stored water.

41
Bamboo Harvesting
ESI is currently seeking technical support from Bamboo World of Australia and the Bamboo Institute of China
to develop a bamboo business model. Bamboo will be grown and harvested for construction purposes
(housing and furniture). In addition, raw bamboo as well as finished products can be sold in local, national
and global markets.

42
Appendix III: Balance Sheet

43
APPENDIX IV: Income Statement

44
APPENDIX V: Statement of Cash Flows

45
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Population below PPP $1 per day (%): N/A
Children under 5 who are moderately or severely underweight (%): 26.4
Population living below the national poverty line (%): N/A
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Net enrolment ratio in primary education (% both sexes): 65.7
Percentage of pupils starting Grade 1 and reach Grade 5 (% both sexes): N/A
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Gender parity Index in primary level enrolment (ratio of girls to boys): 0.7
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old (% both sexes): 67.4
Seats held by women in national parliament (%): 12.5
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Mortality rate of children under 5 years old (per 1,000 live births): 235
1-year-old children immunized against measles (%): 94
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 births): 760
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
People living with HIV,15-49 yrs old (%): 5.1
Prevalence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people): 507
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Land area covered by forest (%): 32.7
Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (metric tons): 0.1401
Access to improved drinking water sources (% of total population): 61
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
Internet users (per 100 people): 0.0
Youth unemployment rate, ages 15-24, both sexes : N/A
Liberia 2004 MDG Report
APPENDIX VI: Liberia and the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals
The likelihood that Liberia will achieve the
MDGs by 2015 is rather weak, based on data
compiled using data from the CWIQ, the
LDHS, the Comprehensive Food Security and
Nutrition Survey (CFSNS, 2006), the UN
Statistical Database and other sources. Due to
significant demographic changes and the
unreliability of data compiled during the period
of the conflict, the base year for trend
projections is the year 2000 or the closest
year possible.
The first and most important Goal is to reduce
poverty by half by 2015. In Liberia’s case, this
would imply reducing the poverty headcount
index from 63.8 percent to about 32 percent
over the next seven years. Unfortunately, this
is not realistically possible – it would require
the fastest reduction in poverty ever recorded
in the world.
Nevertheless, Liberia can achieve a reduction
in poverty that is at least consistent with the
spirit of the MDGs. The original intent of the
MDGs was to reduce the poverty rate by 50
percent over 25 years or roughly 2 percent per
year. In the case of Liberia, a 2 percent annual
reduction in a headcount index of 63.8 percent
translates into a reduction of approximately
1.3 percentage points per year, or about 4
percentage points over the three years of the
PRS. This would bring the poverty headcount
index to about 60 percent by 2011. Liberia can, and should, achieve this rate of poverty reduction (or even faster)
during the PRS period and beyond, based on the projected economic growth rate (over 10 percent annually) and
the policy actions described in this strategy. So while Liberia will not achieve the MDG on poverty per se by 2015,

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