Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project

  • The Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project is a grassroots initiative led by the Family Forever Group in Buchanan City, Liberia, to bring affordable and reliable electricity to their neighborhood. By installing and managing a 13 KVA generator, the project will power homes, small businesses, and study areas from 6 PM – 12 AM daily—reducing costs, boosting safety, and extending economic activity. It represents the determination of residents who, after years in darkness, have come together to light their own community and empower future growth.
Tarr Bar Community, Buchanan City, Liberia
Organisation : Center for Peer-driven Change

Published
$430.00 of $2,410.00 goal

Funders

1

Tax deductible in USA

Drag to Reposition Cover Photo

About The Project

In Tarr Bar Community, electricity has always been a privilege, not a guarantee. Families have long relied on costly private providers or lived by candlelight, while shops closed early and children struggled to study after dark. The Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project seeks to change that narrative by establishing a locally owned and operated power system that gives control back to the people.

Planned Actions

  • Install and manage a community-owned generator providing reliable nighttime electricity.

  • Connect about 40 households and small enterprises, benefiting roughly 200–280 people.

  • Train and employ local residents as the project’s mechanic, electrician, and security personnel.

  • Collect modest monthly payments to fund generator maintenance, fuel, and expansion of the service.

Project Budget Summary

Item Description Cost (USD)
13 KVA Generator Main equipment for electricity supply $2,000
Starting Fuel (1 Month) Initial operational fuel $150
Main Electricity Wire Wiring from generator to community homes $230
Generator Oil (2 Gallons) Lubrication for maintenance $30
Group Contribution Family Forever Group’s combined contribution ($41 each × 10 members) $410
Total Project Cost   $2,410

Expected Impacts

Impact Area Outcome
Economic Growth Enables shops, vendors, and food sellers to operate longer hours, increasing family income and local business stability.
Education Gives students access to light for evening study, improving school performance.
Public Safety Illuminates streets and homes, reducing nighttime crime and enhancing community security.
Self-Reliance Empowers residents to manage their own energy system, lessening dependence on costly private utilities.
Community Cohesion Encourages collective action and shared responsibility for development.

In essence, this project transforms darkness into opportunity — using community collaboration to light homes, boost livelihoods, and build a safer, more empowered future for Tarr Bar.


Paying it Forward

The Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project is more than an effort to turn on the lights — it’s a model of shared progress. Once the system is operational, it will not only brighten homes but also illuminate a path toward community-driven development. Residents will gain technical skills in maintenance and wiring, empowering local youth to manage and expand the system themselves.

By creating jobs for electricians, fuel managers, and security staff, the project strengthens the local economy and keeps resources circulating within the community. Families will save money that can go toward education and food, while small enterprises can reinvest profits into growth.

Over time, the project’s success will inspire surrounding neighborhoods to replicate this self-sustaining model — showing that even with limited means, collective effort can replace dependence with independence, and transform hardship into opportunity.

Profit and Sustainability

The project is financially self-sustaining and generates a modest profit for maintenance and community growth.

Projected Monthly Income:

  • About 40 households or businesses pay $8 each, totaling $320/month.

Revenue Allocation:

Category Percentage Purpose
Members’ Share 40% Income support for project contributors
Generator Maintenance & Fuel 20% Keeps the system running reliably
Community & Emergency Fund 40% Saved for expansion, fuel shortages, or future upgrades

This structure ensures no dependence on external funding after setup, while still keeping electricity affordable. Any future surplus will be reinvested in expanding connections or improving power infrastructure — turning a once-dark community into a self-powered, thriving neighborhood.

View More Project Info

  • What's New
  • Development Goals
  • Project Location
  • Project Funders
  • Key People Involved
  • More Photo/Video

Funding Report

Backstory

 

In the quiet evenings of Tarr Bar Community in Buchanan City, life slows to a halt as soon as the sun slips behind the palm trees. Street vendors pack up their goods early, students struggle to study by dim kerosene light, and families sit outside their homes, waiting for the night to pass. The faint hum of generators from wealthier areas is a constant reminder of what Tarr Bar has long lived without — affordable, reliable electricity.


For years, residents have relied on a single private supplier, Liberia Hardware Incorporated, charging up to $50 per amp each month — an impossible cost for people earning only a few dollars a day.  The price of light has meant choosing between food and power, progress and survival.


It was this hardship that brought together a small group of determined residents led by Vivian Cephus, a local food vendor and respected community leader. Together, they formed the Family Forever Group, made up of ten hardworking men and women — sellers of food, fish, clothing, and dry goods — who decided that waiting for outside help was no longer an option.


Pooling their limited resources, they contributed $410 of their own money, a remarkable act of commitment in a place where every dollar matters. Their plan is simple but transformative: to purchase a 13 KVA generator that will run nightly from 6 PM to midnight, powering homes, small shops, and community spaces. This generator will provide consistent electricity at an affordable rate of $40 USD per amp, nearly 20% cheaper than the current private supplier.

Though the generator has not yet been purchased, the groundwork is already being laid. Community members have pledged materials, including 30 electric poles to run the wiring, and have organized to guard and maintain the future power system. Some young residents have even begun training informally with electricians to prepare for technical work once the system is operational.


The challenges remain immense — fuel shortages, inflation, and limited access to equipment continue to slow progress — yet the group’s spirit remains unbroken. Each planning meeting, often held under the glow of flashlights, strengthens their resolve. Their goal is not only to light their homes but to ignite opportunity: longer business hours, safer streets, and a chance for children to study after sunset.


The Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project stands as a symbol of hope in motion — proof that when a community unites around a shared vision, even before the first spark is lit, the light of determination already shines.

What's New

  • Mauricio Miller
    Mauricio Miller is following project: Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project.
    Mon at 2:52 PM
    Tarr Bar Community Electricity Project

    Goal Amount : $2,410.00

There are no more results to show.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Information

Basic Information

  • Created By : Cara Hagemeyer
  • Published On : Nov 24, 2025, 8:26 PM
  • Funding Ends : Dec 31, 1969, 4:00 PM
  • Backer :
  • Address : -
  • Phone : -
  • Email : -
  • Description :

     


    In the quiet evenings of Tarr Bar Community in Buchanan City, life slows to a halt as soon as the sun slips behind the palm trees. Street vendors pack up their goods early, students struggle to study by dim kerosene light, and families sit outside their homes, waiting for the night to pass. The

    ...  more

Project Funders

People

Creator Followers Members Admin

Photos

Map

Location Information

  • Location :