The Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Temporary Employment for Communities’ Youths (TECY), which was launched by the Government of Liberia (GOL) through the ministry to equip slum community youths and young adults, has left many vulnerable youths and communities abandoned and diverted to relatives, partisans; writes Ojuku Silver-tongue Kangar, Jr.
The empowerment of slum communities’ youths of Montserrado County, which was launched in West Point by Youth and Sports Minister, Zeogar Wilson, brought together donors, the youthful population and chairmen of the various communities in the county.
The program is intended to benefit 1,100 youths, and will last for five months, according Minister Wilson. Being authorized by the minister, each community chairman made an awareness of the program in their community by telling the youths to take the “citizen ID card and register their phone numbers to Orange and Lone Star Mobile Money program”, which is the primarily requirement for recruitment and employment.
“I credited money to take the ID card, with the hope that I would be selected,” Theresa David, one of the neglected youths, said. “They selected their relatives and partisans and put our names in the garbage.”
Neglecting the vulnerable youths and young adults are not the only grave disappointment, but denying communities’ chairmen’s interest, who propagated the message and carried out the recruitment. The situation has caused resentment between some chairmen and the youthful population of their communities, who have declared them liars and called for their immediate resignation. One of them is Du-Port Road Water Side Community’s Chairman, Vision G.S Mandeh.
“I transported myself during the launching of the program in West Point. Minister Zeogar told us that it will be done through the community’s chairman,” Chairman Mandeh said. “In June, over 200 youths gathered at Du-Port Road Water Side and registered for the program. They gave us the hope that the number was small, and they needed more.”
“Since the recruitment, I did not hear from them until you, as a journalist…telling me that the program has started. They told us that we will work in our own community and they will provide us working tools,” he said with a grimaced face. “They also told us that we would keep the tools. I rented a warehouse to keep the tools after our would-be daily work. My people are calling me every time about when we will start.”
Isaac Doe, a close relative to Representative Dixon Sebo, is heading the program. He and others carried out the recruitment in some part of June this year. He assured Chairman Mandeh that everything would be all right and his community would benefit.
The first listing of the program for Du-Port Road and GSA communities contained 25 names. Some of the youths were not residents of both communities, but Johnsonville, Pipeline, and so on. It sparked a huge debate between the youths and Doe’s representatives and was sent back to the ministry for ratification. The recent list sent contained 46 names, which is made up of relatives and partisans of Isaac Doe and his deputies. They did not contact Chairman Mandeh any longer and have begun work at Paynesville community.
Recently, a group of angry youths, including Chairman Mandeh’s children, stormed his residence and threatened severe action, which caused him to flee to an unknown destination.
“What they had done tarnished my reputation and belittled me. If they denied my people, why they never came back to me to tell me that the process has started, and left us vulnerable,” he said in an angry tone. “I will meet Minister Wilson to find out whether the action is from him.”
The disappointing action by Doe and deputies has impaired the already appalled living condition the youths face and will cause CDC to lose votes in 2023 in the various communities. But Minister Wilson is unaware of the stern breaking-heart action carried out by Doe, according to him.
“I am not aware,” Minister Wilson responded to a text message when the reporter texted him for a comment on the matter.
The temporary employment is a five-month program set up by the ministry and partners to mitigate some of the challenges youths face financially in Liberia, and will be extended to next year if the first phase goes well.
