| y"> | | | | grown oil crop. The Liberia Community Infrastructure |
| The rehabilitation and reintegration of artisans clearly | | | | Program (LCIP) is playing a significant role in reviving |
| brings into focus theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of | | | | four of Liberia's oil palm industry with the installation |
| needs. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs defines the basic | | | | of eight palm oil processing equipment plants from |
| human needs as food, shelter, and clothing; | | | | Ghana, revitalization of plantations and the creation of |
| reinforcing the theory that when these needs are | | | | temporary employment of 3:1 ex-combatants and |
| met, other needs are easily attainable, eliminating the | | | | war affected persons. About 2,630 ex-combatants |
| need for other destructive methods. | | | | and WAPS are participating in the implementation of |
| Liberia's past two years of disarming and | | | | these programmes. The LCIP program where totals |
| demobilization now harbor other challenges | | | | over $1.6 million through the use of local implementing |
| intertwined in reintegration, such as illiteracy and the | | | | partners, Zleh Town, Liberia Agrisystems |
| basic post war environment of fragility based on a | | | | Incorporated,(LAS) in Zieh Town, Grand Gedeh |
| communities' abilities to meet their own needs. Not to | | | | County, Catalyst in Raymond Town Bong County , |
| mention petty outbreaks of crime due to the | | | | Multi-Agrisystems Promoters in Zleh Town, |
| non-availability of donor funded supplies, money, | | | | Organization for the Development of Agriculture and |
| training, etc. These complex behaviors of war | | | | Farmer Related Association, (ODAFARA) in Foya, |
| affected persons and ex-combatants can threaten | | | | Lofa County. |
| vocational training, micro-business and productivity. | | | | Farmers once organized as cooperatives of rural |
| However, Dr. John Meadley, the LCIP consultant, | | | | Liberia remember the age old history of "cocoa and |
| smartly sculpts the LCIP blueprint to meet the needs | | | | coffee co-ops in Liberia and the influence of President |
| of training artisans and incoming apprentices, | | | | Tubman in 1971 to persuade co-ops to plant oil palm. |
| carpenters, blacksmiths, and masons. This unique | | | | LCIP has estimated the demand for edible palm oil |
| micro-enterprise atmosphere closes the gap between | | | | right at 22 million gallons per year, roughly determined |
| the newly skilled, undercapitalized and unemployed | | | | through a quick survey if co-operative members and |
| ex-combatants and internally displaced persons. While | | | | family usage. An accurate figure is to be determined. |
| the micro-enterprise environment challenges a new | | | | If Liberia is able to attract private investors to |
| concept in order, commitment, and attitude, the | | | | develop the oil palm industry, laboratories could be |
| value of this training is being realized through its | | | | set up to test the purity/quality of chemical balance |
| immediate creation of business and employment. This | | | | of oil palm before it enters the enter international |
| will certainly be a tough paradigm shift for would be | | | | market. |
| apprentices, who in many cases have lived the | | | | LCIP's community driven agricultural/economic |
| largest part of their lives as child soldiers or war | | | | development plan provides cooperatives a wealth of |
| affected people. But indicators of the artisan's | | | | training from marketing, processing, the supply of |
| commitment to restoring their lives are demonstrated | | | | raw materials, cost to farm producing palm fruit |
| as they arrive daily before the program begins | | | | bunches, start-up cost process, managing the |
| without the incentive of transportation. This could | | | | business, making decisions, understanding the real |
| mean that RAP is a winner. Dr. Meadley and the | | | | cost of things, recording and using records, deciding |
| artisans have developed a discipline system based on | | | | how to use the income and social issues. This |
| the system used in football, (soccer). Your first | | | | reconstruction of how palm oil is produced from farm |
| misdemeanor is a verbal warning, followed by yellow | | | | to market will encourage many to return and get |
| or red cards essentially three strikes and your out. | | | | involved in the process. |
| Before the war, artisans were traditionally trained as | | | | Currently oil palm is manually processed through a |
| apprentices, but after two different episodes of war | | | | boiling process in a barrel, and then the oil is skimmed |
| they were forced to abandon their shops. Upon their | | | | off of the top in a pit in the ground. The process is |
| return to their businesses many artisans who had | | | | then strained from a container with H20 where the oil |
| even tried unsuccessfully to bury their tools to | | | | separated from the palm water. Kernels are |
| protect them, found their premises had been looted | | | | discarded due to the labor intensive process of |
| and tools unsalvageable due to deterioration. | | | | crushing that would be needed to further process |
| With help from LCIP, and the United States Aid to | | | | them, therefore decreasing the actual amount of oil |
| International Development, (USAID), rural artisans in | | | | that could be produced using this method. |
| the "Rebuilding Artisans Programme, (RAP)," are | | | | However, local producers find themselves at the |
| experiencing a revival of sustainability through this | | | | mercy of the buyers, due to the absence of |
| eight month USAID funded program to reconstruct | | | | marketing and storage. The domestic demand for |
| and restart their traditional role of training young | | | | palm oil is determined according to a "labor valued at |
| people through apprenticeship. This has created a | | | | whatever is sold," therefore oil palm consumption is |
| significant increase in interest from artisans who | | | | seen from street market to supermarket by the |
| realize they will work from a business aspect | | | | snap, the gallon, retail or wholesale. Palm oil is used |
| producing goods that can be sold on the market, | | | | daily by every sector of the market with seasonal |
| instead of a classroom model that is built and taken | | | | increases in cost during the rainy season. This tiny |
| apart. | | | | plum size fruit can produce up to 2000 individual fruits. |
| This coming September, twenty five artisans will | | | | Meanwhile, the output from processing from 100 kg |
| embark on the role of training 625 young people in | | | | of fruit bunches provide a saleable outputs of 17kg |
| Bong and Nimba Counties through the LCIP | | | | of palm oil yielding 19 litres or 5 US gallons. |
| sponsored apprenticeships. | | | | For the environmentally concerned, Dr. Meadley |
| Artisans are proving to be the best technicians for | | | | addresses the alternate uses fruit waste products of |
| both theory and practical training by realizing their | | | | fruit bunch, (no value), kernel shells, (burning for |
| stake in this collaborative process of building their | | | | steam) and dirty water, (must not pollute rivers). |
| own businesses to include employment. | | | | Sources say the world demand for palm oil is |
| Artisans will make great strides through the newly | | | | expected to increase by 5% annually from 1995 to |
| acquired management skills of micro-business that | | | | 2015, with Guthrie of Malaysia and the Philippines as |
| encompass a business package for the artisan and | | | | the major suppliers, even for Liberia. |
| the apprentice, such as land rent, raw materials, | | | | The added fact driving the demand for palm oil |
| (timber, varnish, metal sheets, cement, and free | | | | worldwide is its unique composition and |
| labour creating a solid a foundation for success. | | | | non-cholesterol quality and digestibility, quickly |
| The value of the RAP model is further strengthened | | | | designating it as the "healthy choice" in more |
| by cross linkages with other LCIP projects like | | | | developed markets. The cooperatives which sell |
| contracts for school furniture, spare machine parts | | | | directly and individually to their common markets are |
| for oil palm equipment, and other tools. The LCIP | | | | unable to provide objective information on prices for |
| investment in the artisans businesses are more than | | | | different oils at different times of the year. |
| tools, and fixed assets, there is a guaranteed change | | | | Economic importance of palm oil is comparable to any |
| in how business will be conducted in the future of | | | | crop in Liberia, i.e., rubber, increasing the need to |
| Liberia. | | | | understand the nature of the market and its value. |
| The production materials and free labour create a | | | | The incentives of this unprecedented revival program |
| foundation for success and guaranteed profit. Formal | | | | have the potential to answer Liberia's massive |
| standards will be introduced as an enhancement in | | | | unemployment problem by continuing employment of |
| the field of apprenticeship - with successful | | | | temporary workers where the processing plants will |
| apprentices receiving a new certificate designed | | | | be implemented. |
| specifically for apprentices. | | | | LCIP is currently working with 16,950 acres of oil |
| Part 2. | | | | palm, on the Foya plantation in Lofa County (1,000 |
| Liberia's Other Gold: Oil Palm | | | | acres of potential 7,000) Kpatamwee plantation in |
| "This tiny country's future could rest on the | | | | Bong County, Zleh Town plantation in Grand Gedeh |
| economic importance of this small fruit bunch." | | | | County (1,950 acres) Zieh Town plantation in Grand |
| Palm oil, known to be the most productive oil crop in | | | | Gedeh County, (7,000 acres). |
| the world, yields more than any other commercially | | | | |