Discover the new website of the Philanthropy Secretariat of Liberia

September 24th, 2009

Monrovia Gets Additional 75-Seater Transport Buses

November 27th, 2008

On Saturday 22 November 2008, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf officially announced that the Monrovia Transit Authority received 10 buses from the McCall MacBain Foundation (with the administrative support of the Liberian Education Trust). 

The Foundation povided a grant of about 500,000 USD to secure the purchase of the ten buses to improve Monrovia's public service. 

Children going to school will pay a minimum fee to board the buses.

Buchanan Renewables gets Greenlight

November 7th, 2008

The Analyst (Monrovia)

NEWS

23 September 2008

Posted to the web 23 September 2008

No one can deny that the Sirleaf administration has so far put a rein on the nation's economic slump and managed to maintain political stability as it appeals to the hearts and minds of Liberian stakeholders for peace and reconciliation.

But the administration's shortcoming is the provision of basic social services such as pipe-borne water and electricity to the capital at least pre-war levels. Now, it is working with the private sector and that is paying off.

The Analyst brings you this Executive Mansion New York dispatch of a major breakthrough in a plan to electrify Monrovia and its environs and Kakata in Margibi County.

Buchanan Renewables, B.V., announced, yesterday that its Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has approved a loan of up to US $112-million to Buchanan's subsidiary in Liberia, Buchanan Renewables (Monrovia) Power, Inc.

The funding, according to the Vice President of OPIC, Mr. Jim Polan, is intended to build a 50-megawatt independent biomass power project that will provide electricity from renewable sources to Monrovia and its surrounding areas.

He pointed out that the approval reflects the quality of this project and its potential contribution to the economic recovery of Liberia, a country that OPIC has identified as one of its highest priorities because of the great strides it has made to restoring democracy after a prolonged civil war.

The announcement, an Executive Mansion dispatch from New York says, was made Monday during a meeting to review the progress of Foundations operating in Liberia.

Under the funding, Buchanan plans to construct a 35-megawatt power generation plant near Kakata in Margibi County. The power plant will be fueled with wood chips from Liberian rubber trees that are beyond their useful life and must be removed to make way for new and productive rubber trees.

The electricity provided from the renewable sources, Buchanan Renewable officials say, will be sold at a much lower price than current electricity prices, and will be transmitted to the Liberia Electricity Corporation's grid by the end of 2010.

The approval of the loan by OPIC is a key step in the development process so that planned construction can begin by January next year.

"In addition to over 650 Liberians currently employed in Liberia by other subsidiary companies of Buchanan Renewables, BV, the power company will employ an additional 100 Liberians when the plant is completed," the company said in a statement released Monday in New York.

"This project will generate thousand of additional associated jobs because of the economic activity resulting from the construction of the plant, the rejuvenation of the rubber industry, and the availability of clean, reasonably priced, reliable electricity," the President of Buchanan's power company, Stan Ridley, said in a statement.

President Johnson Sirleaf welcomed the announcement approving the loan for Buchanan Renewables, and reiterated the need for the speedy implementation of the project.

"In all that we do, time factor remains crucial," the President again reminded the country's partners when she addressed participants attending a meeting of Foundations operating in Liberia.

The head of the National Investment Commission, Dr. Richard Tolbert, described as most encouraging news of the approval of the US $112-million loan for Buchanan Renewables, noting that it will go a long way in boosting the economic recovery program of Liberia, particularly in the energy sector of the country.

Monday's Foundations meeting, co-hosted by American billionaire George Soros of the Open Society Initiative (OSI) is discussing the work of Foundations operating in Liberia with the view to aligning their activities with government's Poverty Reduction Strategy to produce the desired impact in the country.

The meeting was also addressed by American billionaire Robert L. Johnson and Former United States President Bill Clinton.

They are stressed the need for a timely and robust response to address the many challenges facing Liberia. OPIC is an independent entity of the United States that provides loans and insurance to the private sector in developing countries.

MMF: Launch of new website

October 14th, 2008

Dear Friend,

We are very pleased to launch our new website. Please feel free to send us your comments at info@mccallmacbain.org so that we can improve it. 

We hope that you will enjoy learning more about our activities. 

Many thanks,  

The McCall MacBain Foundation team