TheUnited Funding and Development for Underage Mothers(UFDUM) is a national non-governmental organization focusing resources to support and promote gender equality, economic empowerment for girls and young women and actively involved in the fight to end violence against women (VAW) in Liberia.UFDUMis headed by a trained and qualified Executive Director who reports directly to members of the Board of Directors (BOD) who are responsible to oversee the overall operations of the organization.UFDUMhas a trained and experienced program team headed by a Program Manager with wealth of work and training experience from some international NGOs previously served, who directly reports to the Executive Director. The Program Team is comprised of a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and 2 Field Staff, all of whom are graduates from the various Universities in Liberia and have acquired the required minimum work experience. The Field employees in turn supervise a team of volunteers.UFDUMhas an Administrative arm that is comprised of an Administrative/HR Officer who supports the Executive Director with administrative matters, recruitment of staffs, consultants and partnerships, and the Finance officer is responsible to manage all funds and also make sure that staff and associates adhere to donor compliances in the disbursement of funds and also ensures strict adherence to the financial policy, an Operations Officer with respective responsibilities to providing Procurement and Logistical support services, all of whom reports directly to the Executive Director who heads the Administrative Department and ensures best practices and strict compliance to all policies, rules and regulations of the organization by staff, contractors, and beneficiaries.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH DONORS/SERVICES WE PROVIDE

UFDUMis increasingly involved in partnerships with government, other CSOs with similar objectives and businesses to promote gender equality, and fight against all forms of GBV and advocate for economic empowerment for girls, young women and their male counterparts.

Presently,UFDUMsecured funding in 2016 from Plan International and the Dutch foreign Ministry to implement the Girls Advocacy Alliance Project, a 5-year project with the objectives to eliminate gender based violence (GBV) and child marriage and to promote economic empowerment of girls and young women. Since its inception, the Girls Advocacy Alliance Project has identified 24 community based organizations (CBOs) in 10 communities. These CBOs were assessed and trained on how to conduct lobby and advocacy activities in favor of girls’ and young women’s education and economic empowerment as well as prevention and monitoring of sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in schools and communities. Also, we identified and trained 30 girls as ambassadors of change in their communities with a mission to advocate for girls’ education and economic empowerment to prevent SGBV. Meanwhile, we are also member of the GBV taskforce, the Adolescent Girls Working Group, the Child Protection Network, the Education NGO forum and the Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK) to lobby and advocate for policy changes and actions in favour of girls and women in Liberia. Hence,UFDUMwas part of the National GBV taskforce that introduced and advocated for the enactment into law the Domestic Violence Bill and the recent signing of the Executive Order 92 by the former president banning for a year the practice of female genital mutilation against girls less than 18 years.UFDUMwas part of the advocacy campaign for the development and signing of the Girls’ Manifesto in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and other civil society organizations in the Counties and in Monrovia.

UFDUMcollaborates with CSOs/CBOs who are part of the GBV Taskforce and the Adolescent Girls Working Group (AGWG) at the gender ministry to roll out the GBV Prevention Strategy document in line with the National Gender Policy of Liberia, the GBV National Action Plan, GBV Standard Operating Procedures, and the GBV Communication Strategy that are policy documents aimed at ensuring effective implementation of the GBV Prevention Strategy in the targeted communities in Montserrado, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Grand Cape Mount Counties respectively for increased awareness and compliance of the Prevention Strategy document by the Liberian people, and thus diminishes GBV crime rates against girls and young women. This approach will be to increase the capacity of Gender Champions and Advocates to raise awareness on the importance of the GBV Prevention strategy and to ensure positive community based actions. The expected result is girls and young people/boys and young men will not only understand the GBV Prevention Strategy document but will also be used to effectively and positively contribute to the promotion of gender equality and economic empowerment and reducing the culture of silence Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) against girls and young women (GYW).