The Lofa Integrated Development Association (LIDA), a Liberian owned local non-governmental organization  is committed to working with state and non-state actors in developing and delivering social enterprise systems, including community driven development and youth social enterprise, with a focus on empowerment through training and mentorship, while ensuring adherence to cross cutting issues including, gender mainstreaming, HIV/AIDS prevention, and environmental impact mitigation in targeted communities.

Since 2008 LIDA has gained substantial experience, developed skills and competence, increased capacity and provided professional leadership in the development and establishment of systems for sustainable routine maintenance of feeder roads and upgrading of footpaths to narrow gauge motorable in tracks in Liberia. LIDA working with the Ministry of Public Works and its development partners in the road sector has led the development of strategies and systems regarding mobilization of communities, training (including theoretical, mentoring and coaching), and formation and development of community-based organizations (CBOs) for enhanced employment opportunities at the community level.

LIDA remains committed in providing professional leadership in the planning and delivery of community driven development initiatives, including footpaths upgrading, labor-based routine maintenance of feeder roads and related livelihood projects in Liberia. LIDA was established on December 28th, 2006 and accredited by the Ministry of Planning on 5^th January, 2007. Though originating from Lofa County, LIDA has become a broad based, multi-cultural organization with staff and board members from diverse backgrounds. As a result of this, the organization is rapidly growing and currently active in Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, Lofa and the South-east.

LIDA is currently engaged with the LSFRP 3 (since 2019) both in the planning and delivery of routine maintenance services and stage 2 piloting of off-road village access improvement (up grading of footpath to narrow gauge motor cycle tracks), both utilizing community driven approaches. Stage 1 of the up grading of foot path to tracks was initiated 2016, supported by GIZ and study conducted by the Swansea University with support from LIDA. Additionally, LIDA is providing mentorship support to relevant counties in the South-east, following a successful pilot in the North-central region (2020). The mentorship focuses on transfer of skills, knowledge and best practices to respective counties administrations in the planning and management of routine maintenance contracts undertaken by CBO.

LIDA believes that poverty, and disease eradication can be made possible through peoples empowerment to participate as equal partners in addressing their own development needs by recognizing their potentials to grow and strengthening capacities for equitable decision making to acquire and utilize available resources, and building on existing knowledge, establishing an entrepreneurial environment and creating access to medium to long term productive means; considering that development is only sustainable when people are given an opportunity to utilize their full potentials and their imagination to derive ideas and implement decisions affecting their growth and development.

LIDA believes in a world where there is equal opportunity for all; where all peoples are treated and considered as equals with the natural ability to think, act and judge results, be given the opportunity to take decisions for natural growth and development; regardless of race, tribe, ethnicity, gender, sex, culture, creed and nationality with women and children being considered equal partners in the development of their communities.

Our mission is to facilitate peoples’ development and the reduction of their decision-making marginalization. LIDA shall endeavor to work with communities, recognizing them as the fulcrum to sustainable development; strive to build on their existing strengths and facilitate a process for the growth and development of their potentials.

LIDA shall also endeavor to work in partnership with other local and international non-governmental organizations and corporate groups with the objective of contributing to the growth and development of local communities and civil society groups without compromising their rights and dignity.

Over the years, LIDA has worked with international partners and the government (including USAID, ILO, SIDA and the Ministries of Public Works) in the design and implementation of opportunity projects for youth and communities, with a focus on building ownership, ensuring sustainable maintenance systems, economic revitalization, job creation, access to basic social services and supporting decentralized planning and provision of basic services in the road sector at the community, district and county levels.

From 2008-2010, LIDA worked with the USAID funded Liberia Community Infrastructure Project (LCIP), managed by Development Alternative International (DAI). LIDA provided consultancy on the approach to achieving community ownership through community involvement in road access planning and implementation. Community based organizations were formed and institutionalized and they became involved in the implementation of certain aspect of the project, including feeder road rehabilitation through spots improvement and routine road maintenance using labor-based methods.

LIDA has worked with the Swedish funded project, the Liberian Swedish Feeder Road Project (LSFRP) in mobilizing and supervising community-based organizations to provide maintenance services in the rehabilitation and maintenance of feeder roads in Central and Northern Liberia from 2011-2021. LIDA also supported the project in organizing and implementing training on cross cutting issues, including gender mainstreaming, environmental impact mitigation and HIV/AIDS prevention.

LIDA worked with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Liberia (2011 and 2013) to mobilize and form community work gangs for their active participation into road rehabilitation/maintenance works using labor-based methods in the Southeast. The project funded by the African Development Bank, targeted the Fish Town-Pleebo-Barclayville-Harper Road segment.

LIDA worked with the USAID funded project, Feeder Road Alternative and Maintenance Program (FRAMP) as a subcontractor responsible for the mobilization, training and formation of community-based organizations. LIDA has been successful at establishing community-based organizations as small-scale contractors for FRAMP in the implementation of routine maintenance contracts of feeder roads in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties.

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