In an effort to curtail the prevailing security threat at-risk youths pose to the state and to reclaim them as a positive impact of the state, the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Ministry of Youths sports and in conjunction with the Ministry of health and Gender, commenced the national fund for the rehabilitation and empowerment of At-risk youths, with an interactive dialogue with at-risk youth on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at the Pennoh Building, Center street.
The interactive dialogue with at-risk youths, held under the theme, “Reclaiming our Youth for a Better Tomorrow”, disclosed government’s plans of rehabilitating at-risk youths through detoxification and skills training to have them reintegrated into society.
The US$13.8 million project for the rehabilitation and empowerment of the growing number of at-risk-youth in the country, who are otherwise referred to as zogoes, was marked with fundraising and sporting events, played on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the Invincible Park, involving the Steering Committee and local and international partners, under the umbrella of the One UN System.
The Chief Executive, H.E. President Dr. George Manneh Weah, led a team representing the Government of Liberia (GOL) against the One UN System’s team, which was led by Ambassador Niels Scott, the UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia.
The sporting activities also featured at-risk-youths, who played an exhibition match to showcase their skills and the potential benefits to be accrued from “reclaiming” all vulnerable young people for a better Liberia.
For his part, D. Zeogar Wilson, Chairman of the Steering Committee and Minister of Youth and Sports, called on the business community, civil society, friends of Liberia, and Liberians at home and abroad to join the government and its development partners to help raise the targeted amount to kick-start the implementation of the rehabilitation and skills-based training, as well as economic empowerment of at-risk-youths in the country.
He disclosed that the rehabilitation process of at at-risk will began with fourteen different skill training at the Youths Agriculture Training Center in Bensonville, Montserrado County.
At the same time, Minister of Health, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, stated that, as part of the recruitment of at-risk youths for the rehabilitation there will be psychosocial Counseling, case management and mental health clinicians to prepare at-risk youths properly to go through their rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Indian businessman, Upjit Singh Sachdeva, alias Jeety, pledged his unflinching support to the rehabilitation of the at-risk youths.
Jeety promised to incorporate the first one hundred at-risk youths in his rubber plant following their rehabilitation.
The at-risk youths chanted the name, Jeety, as the real “talk and do”, saying, “Long live Jeety our talk and do. We are the victims of drugs. We need help.” The tidings of the rehabilitation of at-risk youths, which should have been welcomed with joy, was met with many doubts from the at-risk youths, asserting that this was not the first time that this government has made such a huge promise.
Speaking on behalf of the at-risk-youths, Tony Beh, alias DOC, lamented that at-risk youths have problem with the government, and they are angry about the treatment they receive by government not fulfilling its promise.
“We got problem with the government. The people here are angry with the government. They promised us on Slipway’s field when they just came to power, and they have done nothing, but they have come again.”
However, a two-month-old pregnant at-risk youth and chairperson of all female at-risk youths at the Pennoh Building, Josephine Mensah, welcomed the decision of the government to rehabilitate at-risk youths and have them reintegrated into society as well as reunite them with their families.