Reported by: Naneka Hoffman
Monrovia, Liberia—Ma Tenneh, a 52-year-old woman, has a compelling life story of determination, development, and transformation. She was a struggling hand-to-mouth farmer before now becoming the proud founder of “Ma Tenneh Natural Forest Honey,” a certified organic brand that is well-known in Monrovia, Lofa Bridge, Bo Waterside, and the surrounding areas.
But her path did not start with achievement. It began with a small group of fifty beehives, few tools, and uncertainty. When she was chosen as one of 10 businesses under the UNDP Liberia Growth Accelerator Program through the Leh Go Green Project, which is supported by the European Union, everything changed.
Prior to enrolling in the Growth Accelerator Program, Ma Tenneh produced honey in a crude and dangerous manner. Her hives were exposed to rain, insects, and reptiles because they were set directly on the naked ground. Honeycomb was manually squeezed into cut plastic containers as part of her harvesting procedure, which frequently contaminated the final product.
“Before the Accelerator, my honey was full of smoke residue, and my prices were low and unstable. The EU-funded Leh Go Green Project did not just give me an opportunity to access a grant under the Growth Accelerator, but it gave me eyes to see what I was doing wrong and a road to move forward,” she recalled.
The US$10,000 stipend and practical mentoring signaled a shift from learning to development. She improved her entire operation in a matter of months. She invested in safety gear for herself and her employees, constructed raised beehive stands to safeguard her hives, and started using appropriate honey strainers to remove contamination.
Branding soon became another milestone in her journey. With support from the project’s design coach, her product was reborn as “Ma Tenneh Natural Forest Honey,” complete with a professionally designed label featuring her own portrait. For the first time, her honey not only tasted good but also looked market-ready.
Ma Tenneh secured her first deals to supply resorts and eco-lodges along the Cape Mount coast in Robertsport. In just four weeks, she sold 180 kilograms of honey, more than she had sold in the previous two years combined. Her income surged to over US$330 per month, more than ten times what she had previously earned. Today, her brand is stocked in two major stores in Monrovia and served at a popular eco-lodge, marking her entry into premium markets.
She increased her beehives from 50 to over 105 with the grant’s help, significantly boosting output. She trained others in her neighborhood and constructed more top-bar hives with her earnings. Her cooperative now employs three women, and she has educated over twenty beekeepers, including young moms. She now operates in three Mano River region towns, transforming her company into a platform for empowerment. “A queen bee does not eat all the honey herself. She lays eggs so the hive grows. She protects and she leads. That is what I try to do now,” Ma Tenneh said.
The goal of the partnership between the UNDP Growth Accelerator Programme and the EU-funded Leh Go Green Project was to provide low-cost technology, market and financial access, and mentorship to existing rural micro-enterprises so they could grow sustainably. For Ma Tenneh, the impact has been deeply personal and profoundly lasting. “My hive is not just wood and wax. My hive is a workforce of Liberian women and youth who wake up every morning knowing their work matters,” she noted.
Her cooperative intends to purchase a solar-powered warming cabinet to maintain honey quality and a manual honey extractor to be shared among three villages later this year. Without sacrificing the natural components of her honey, these improvements are anticipated to increase productivity and product quality. Ma Tenneh feels that other Liberian women should be motivated by her narrative.
“To any woman in Liberia selling something from the forest, such as honey, palm oil, cassava, or snails, take it seriously and apply to this program. You might not become a millionaire overnight but a reputable businesswoman. And no one can take that from you,” she urged.
Ma Tenneh’s journey from a struggling farmer to a community leader and businesswoman is evidence that modest beginnings can result in remarkable transformation with the correct assistance, information, and perseverance.
