Sirleaf Market Women's Fund

The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund (SWMF/USA), established in 2007, is a non-profit organization governed by an international Board with offices in New York. Its partner organization, SMWF/Liberia, is governed by a national board based in Liberia. SMWF promotes and supports Liberian market women by providing financing for infrastructure, skills train and financial tools. SMWF achieves this goal by improving existing markets and constructing new ones with storage facilities, safe water and sanitation, pre-school facilities, literacy, small business training and access to credit. To date, 13 markets have been renovated or built, literacy training has been launched in a number of markets and an increasing number of market women are accessing credit through various micro-credit lending processes. Additional funding has now become available, which enables SMWF to expand its work and build 9 more markets in urban and rural areas throughout the country over the next four years.