–Businessman Upjit Singh Sachdeva Launches Major Housing Overhaul to Replace Decades-old Mud Huts and Uplift Workers’ Living Conditions
SALALA, BONG COUNTY – The Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC), now owned and operated by Jeety Rubber Liberia Limited, has begun demolishing decades-old mud houses to make way for durable, modern two-bedroom concrete homes for its workers.
The initiative, led by Indian businessman Upjit Singh Sachdeva, popularly known as Jeety, marks the start of a two-year plan to construct and renovate more than 500 new homes across SRC’s nine worker camps — a move aimed at transforming the living standards of thousands of employees and their families.
“This demolition exercise is the beginning of a new chapter,” said Mr. Sachdeva, CEO of the Jeety Conglomerate. “We are replacing these aging mud houses with spacious, weather-resistant two-bedroom concrete homes. The goal is simple — to give our workers the dignity and comfort they deserve.”
The housing project follows the Earthworm Foundation’s 2023 report, which documented a series of unresolved social challenges under the former Belgian-Luxembourg multinational, Socfin, including deplorable living conditions, poor sanitation, and limited access to basic services.
Sachdeva said Jeety Rubber is taking a phased, systematic approach to address all issues identified in that report.
“We inherited a company burdened with long-standing social and infrastructural problems,” he noted. “While profitability is essential, we are equally committed to improving social services and living conditions for all our workers.”
Workers Welcome Change After Years of Neglect
Poor housing had long been a major grievance among SRC employees, culminating in a violent protest in June 2024 that led to the torching of company property and ultimately forced Socfin to shut down operations and divest.
As part of the acquisition deal in August 2024, Jeety Rubber pledged to tackle all unresolved legacy issues — from housing and education to healthcare and water access. Already, more than 120 families have been relocated from Camps 1 and 2 into newly constructed or renovated housing units.
“We are on track to deliver all 500 homes within the 24-month period we promised,” Sachdeva affirmed. “When that time comes, every worker should have a decent home.”
Workers have lauded the company’s swift progress, saying it signals a genuine commitment to change.
“For years, we lived in fear every rainy season, not knowing when our roofs might collapse,” one worker said. “Now, we have safe homes and hope for a better future. We just want the pace to continue.”
A Broader Vision of Transformation
The housing overhaul is only part of Jeety Rubber’s broader social investment plan. Since taking over SRC, the company has renovated the SRC school system and clinic, provided a fully equipped ambulance, and announced a US$10,000 scholarship fund for workers’ children.
The newly refurbished SRC clinic now operates with qualified medical staff and a modern laboratory, while schools have 24-hour electricity, running water, and a newly equipped science lab — upgrades that contributed to all 12th graders passing the 2025 WASSCE for the first time in the company’s history.
In addition, Jeety Rubber plans to introduce Starlink-powered internet, steady electricity, and borehole water systems across all camps to ensure workers have access to reliable utilities and communication.
“Our workers are our most important asset,” Sachdeva emphasized. “Their well-being is central to our vision for a modern, self-sustaining SRC.”
Jeety’s Legacy of Social Impact
Beyond SRC, Mr. Sachdeva is widely known in Liberia for his philanthropy and business innovation.
His acquisition of SRC in 2024 signaled one of the largest Liberian industrial takeovers in recent years — and one that many observers see as a model for responsible corporate leadership.
A New Chapter for SRC
As bulldozers clear away decades-old mud huts in Salala, optimism runs high among workers who have endured years of neglect.
Jeety Rubber’s ambitious redevelopment plan, if fully realized, could turn the once-troubled plantation into a symbol of progress and corporate responsibility — restoring confidence in one of Liberia’s oldest rubber concessions.
