MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberian agribusiness govt Cytirus Ok. Kerbay, Chief Govt Officer of WONYEA AGRO INC, has been named among the many 100 Influential African Ladies, in recognition of her management in sustainable agriculture, ladies’s financial empowerment and inclusive progress throughout the continent.
By: Matthias F. Larbeindee
Reacting to the dignity, Kerbay described the popularity as each humbling and motivating. “I’m deeply honored by this recognition. It strengthens my dedication to advancing sustainable agriculture and increasing alternatives for ladies and youth to thrive and lead Africa’s growth,” she mentioned.
Kerbay turns into the second Liberian lady to obtain the continental honor, following former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Organizers mentioned the popularity displays Kerbay’s rising influence in advancing climate-smart farming, meals safety and alternatives for ladies and youth in Liberia and the broader West African area.
The award is aligned with the theme, “Empowering Heritage, Elevating Futures, Uniting African Ladies for Sustainable Progress,” which focuses on strengthening ladies’s direct participation in financial and socio-economic actions at nationwide, sub-regional, pan-African and world ranges. The initiative additionally highlights the necessity to handle structural and cultural obstacles which have traditionally restricted ladies’s full participation in Africa’s growth.
Kerbay’s recognition was held at a high-level, invitation-only convention which introduced collectively ladies leaders and a choose group of male decision-makers from Africa, Europe and North America. The occasion featured a welcome handle by the chief organizer, a keynote handle, technical shows by consultants, and interactive periods held each in individual and nearly. A ultimate communiqué has additionally been circulated to African governments, regional and worldwide establishments.
At WONYEA AGRO INC, Kerbay has positioned agriculture as a driver of nationwide transformation. Below her management, the corporate has expanded investments in sustainable crop manufacturing, agribusiness worth chains and climate-smart practices, with a robust deal with empowering smallholder farmers. WONYEA AGRO INC helps ladies and youth farmers by means of capacity-building packages, market linkages and the usage of natural fertilizers produced from pig manure to assist farmers transition from subsistence to industrial manufacturing.
Reflecting on her expertise, Kerbay emphasised the broader influence of girls’s empowerment in agriculture and growth. “My journey has proven me that when ladies are empowered with the fitting instruments and alternatives, they turn out to be highly effective drivers of meals safety, financial progress, ladies monetary safety, and resilient communities,” she mentioned.
“Mrs. Kerbay’s work demonstrates the transformative energy of girls’s management when given the chance to thrive,” the award organizers mentioned, noting that the scheme goals to showcase exemplary African ladies as function fashions and mobilize them as a collective pressure for the continent’s socio-economic renewal.
Earlier than main WONYEA AGRO INC, Kerbay held senior roles throughout Liberia’s growth and humanitarian sectors. She served as Technical Advisor on FHI 360’s USAID/PEPFAR-funded EpiC Challenge, overseeing greater than US$1.6 million yearly in grants to civil society organizations. She has additionally labored with Inhabitants Companies Worldwide, Serving to Hand Liberia and the Liberia Nationwide Crimson Cross Society, managing multi-county packages and complicated operations.
Kerbay holds a Grasp of Science in Public Well being from Cuttington College Graduate Faculty, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Stella Maris Polytechnic and an expert nursing diploma from the Tubman Nationwide Institute of Medical Arts. She has accomplished further certifications in venture administration, management growth and group well being programs.
WONYEA AGRO INC’s technique beneath her management aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Growth Targets, significantly Zero Starvation, Respectable Work, Financial Development, and Local weather Motion. Kerbay has mentioned her imaginative and prescient is to construct a resilient agricultural ecosystem that balances productiveness with environmental sustainability whereas creating jobs and strengthening rural communities.
As Africa intensifies efforts towards gender equality and inclusive growth, Kerbay’s recognition underscores the rising function of girls leaders in shaping the continent’s financial future.
