From Global Goals to Local Impact: Liberia’s Youth Leading The Way

From Global Goals to Local Impact: Liberia’s Youth Leading The Way

By Augusta Pshorr

International Youth Day is more than a celebration. It is a call to recognize the power, promise, and leadership of young people.

In Liberia, where over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25, youth are not just shaping the future but are actively transforming the present.

This year’s theme: “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” serves as a timely reminder: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not abstract targets crafted in distant boardrooms. They are lived realities, blueprints for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development that must be driven by local leadership and community action.

Liberia’s youth are not waiting for change, but are leading it. They are bold architects of transformation, turning challenges into opportunities and vision into impact.

From the vibrant streets of Monrovia to the resilient communities of Lofa, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, and beyond, young Liberians are stepping up. They are not passive recipients of development, but are active agents of progress, confronting complex issues with creativity, resilience, and determination.

Whether advancing climate action, promoting civic engagement, launching businesses, or building peace, country’s youth are proving that local leadership is the key to unlocking national progress and that the SDGs can only be realized when young people are empowered to lead.

UNDP Liberia: Partnering With Youth for Impact

At UNDP Liberia, we recognize that youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the changemakers of today. Investing in young people means investing in country’s present and future. That’s why our programs are designed to amplify youth voices, strengthen their capacities, and position them at the forefront of national development. Through initiatives aligned with the ARREST Agenda, a national framework focused on human capital, resilience, and democratic governance, we are collaborating with youth to build a more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable Liberia.

Here’s how we’re turning global goals into local impact through youth-led actions:

Youth in Governance and Peacebuilding: UNDP supports youth-led civic education campaigns, leadership academies, and community dialogue platforms that promote peaceful elections, transparency, and accountability. Young Liberians are emerging as watchdogs of democracy and champions of human rights, shaping inclusive governance from the ground up.

Youth and Climate Resilience: Between 2021 and 2025, over 100 young people from 10 cities, including Zwedru, Greenville, Monrovia, Buchanan, Voinjama, and Robertsport, have joined the Ecobrigade and climate resilience programs under our Livelihood and Employment Creation and Energy and Environment initiatives. These youth are leading reforestation drives, plastic recycling innovations, coastal protection efforts, and awareness campaigns on sustainable living. Their leadership proves that climate resilience begins with community ownership.

Skills for Life and Livelihoods: In the past four years, UNDP has empowered more than 2,000 young Liberians with vocational training, entrepreneurship development, and work-readiness skills. These programs are reducing unemployment, fostering innovation, and equipping youth to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy.

Support for Youth-Led MSMEs: UNDP has invested over US$7 million in livelihood and employment creation, catalyzing youth entrepreneurship across the country. Through the Growth Accelerator, more than 110 businesses, including agricultural cooperatives have received up to US$40,000 in grant financing and business development support. Nearly half of these enterprises are led by young women and girls. Additionally, our youth business start-up competition has benefited over 900 youth across seven counties.

Digital Innovation and AI Literacy: In partnership with the University of Liberia and other national institutions, UNDP is introducing youth to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Through innovation labs and AI literacy workshops, young Liberians are gaining the tools to drive data-informed advocacy and harness technology for social good.

YouthConnekt Liberia:  Since its launch in 2016, UNDP has been a steadfast partner in advancing Youth Connekt Liberia (YCL). We’ve provided strategic, technical, and financial support from funding the YCL Secretariat and equipping the Innovation Lab to sponsoring youth participation in continental summits. Through boot camps, dialogues, and regional platforms, we’ve helped connect thousands of young people to digital skills, entrepreneurship training, and leadership development. Despite challenges, this partnership continues to expand YCL’s reach and align country’s youth development with continental goals.

A Call to Action

As we mark International Youth Day, let us not only celebrate youth, but we must also invest in them. Governments, development partners, civil society, and the private sector must work together to create enabling environments where youth can lead, innovate, and thrive.

The SDGs call for global solidarity, but their success depends on local action. Liberia’s youth are showing the world how to bridge that gap. Whether planting trees, mentoring peers, or holding leaders accountable, they are translating global goals into tangible change.

This celebration is a call to action to invest in youth-led initiatives, amplify their voices, and ensure they are meaningfully included in decision-making processes. When youth lead, the SDGs move from aspiration to action, and the country moves closer to a future that is inclusive, resilient, and just.

Across sectors, the youth are rising. They are entrepreneurs, activists, public servants, and changemakers. They are proving that local action is the heartbeat of global progress.

UNDP Liberia remains steadfast in its support for youth-led development. We will continue to stand with young people by amplifying their voices, investing in their potential, and co-creating solutions that reflect their dreams and aspirations.

As Kofi Annan once said, “We need to keep hope alive and strive to do better.” Liberia’s youth are doing just that, and we are proud to walk beside them.

UNDP Liberia remains committed to this mission because when youth lead, nations rise. And when local actions align with global goals, the future becomes not just possible but powerful. Together, we can build a Liberia where every young person can lead, innovate, and thrive.

From Kitchen Counter To CEO: The Rise of Satta Wahab And Naz Beauty

In the quiet hours of the morning, long before the city stirred, Satta Wahab would often find herself in tears, frustrated, exhausted, but determined. “Some days, I’d wake up in tears from frustration,” she recalls. “Even now, we are still navigating the journey.” Today, she stands as the founder and CEO of Naz Beauty, a thriving Liberian brand rooted in resilience, innovation, and a purpose-driven mission.

A Dream Born in Her Mother’s Kitchen

Satta’s journey began not in a boardroom, but in her mother’s kitchen. While pursuing her tertiary education, she started experimenting with natural ingredients, driven by a desire to create hair products that truly catered to African women. In 2014, frustrated by the lack of suitable options on the market, she began mixing indigenous plants to craft a hair oil that worked for her hair.

Word spread quickly. Friends and classmates noticed the transformation and began requesting their blends. What started as a personal solution soon turned into a small business, one jar at a time.

From Passion Project to Registered Brand

By 2017, Satta had officially registered her business as Naz Naturals. With just 15 jars of shea butter, she began selling her products, slowly expanding her line to include oils, shampoos, and conditioners. Later, she rebranded to Naz Beauty, a move that marked a turning point.

Before the rebrand, sales were modest, with fewer than 100 products sold each month. However, the new identity resonated. Customers embraced the brand, and demand surged.

The Growth Accelerator That Changed Everything

Despite her progress, growth was slow. Then came the breakthrough: the UNDP Liberia Growth Accelerator grant. “The UNDP Growth Accelerator was our biggest investor,” Satta says. “It came after five to six years in business, quite a long time to operate without significant growth. But this investment transformed the company from zero to hero.” At the time, she was still working from her mother’s kitchen. The grant allowed her to move into a proper office and production space, invest in manufacturing equipment, hire staff, and source ingredients in bulk. “Everywhere you look, you can see how the grant has helped us,” she says.

Learning the Hard Way

Entrepreneurship, Satta insists, is a roller coaster. “You receive a grant, and the excitement of business growth fills you with optimism. But the next day, something you thought would be impactful doesn’t work as expected.” One of her toughest challenges came when she imported a sachet machine from China. With no local expertise, she had to wake up at 2:00 a.m. to communicate with the supplier, navigating language barriers and technical issues. “For a while, it was a nightmare,” she admits. “But now, I can proudly say I’ve learned to set up and operate all the production equipment myself, and I pass that knowledge on to my staff.”

Beauty for All

Satta’s sachet products are designed with low-income customers in mind, making quality hair care more accessible. “People look at me and assume I should be working for someone; I have to explain that I am the boss,” she says. “My goal is to make beauty accessible to everyone, especially the low-income community.” Looking ahead, she plans to expand Naz Beauty’s offerings to include skincare products made from indigenous Liberian plants for both men and women.

A Message to Aspiring Entrepreneurs

To young women dreaming of building something of their own, Satta offers this advice: “Stay consistent. Stay committed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” These are the values that have carried her from a kitchen counter to the helm of a flourishing business.