In an effort to alleviate the use of drugs and substance by youths in the country, the Samuel Grimes Initiative for At-Risk Youth, under the patronage of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc. (PAW), ended a ten-day drug and substance addiction counseling training at the Kakata Community College, Kakata, Margibi County, over the weekend.
Addressing the more than eighty participants on the campus of the Samuel Grimes Institute on the Kakata-Bong miles road at the close of the training, the Diocesan Bishop of the West African Council of the 35th Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc. (PAW), Bishop Dr. Leo Simpson, expressed satisfaction with the manner at which the training was conducted.
Bishop Simpson said statistical report from the Ministry of Health shows that about one hundred thousand youths in the country are addicted to drugs and substance, adding that Liberia is seriously plagued with the problem of drug addiction.
He noted that dealing with this threat and reducing its prevalence should not be left with government alone, but all Liberians, claiming that the country is sitting on a time bomb.
According to him, since the civil crisis ended the increase in the consumption of illegal drugs has skyrocketed, and those involved are neglected by families and friends. He called on Liberians to attach importance in reducing its speed among the future generation of the motherland.
In a related development, Bishop Dr. Leo Simpson announced that a twenty-five man delegation is expected in the country soon from the United States as a guest of the Samuel Grimes Initiatives, in order to see what is unfolding at the center.
Bishop Simpson told newsmen that renovation work on structures on the campus will take effect as of the week under review, and that the work will be completed in the not-too-distant future.
The high-power delegation, he said, will be led by his daughter, who is the brain behind the initiative, to turn Samuel Grimes from academic activities into a rehabilitation center for at-risk youth in the country.
Also speaking to the press, the lone facilitator, Adam M. Kyne, Executive Director, A.M. Kyne Collegiate Resource Center, which is partnering with PAW, thanked God for the divine connection with his former principal and educator.
Kyne said drug addiction is a brain disease, and if victims are not given the necessary therapy and treatment they may not be restored, which he said could create another generational gap. He noted that drug addiction poses serious threat to the youthful population of the nation, and that there is a need to alleviate the problem across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Rachel Martor and Tervor T. Siafah extolled Bishop Dr. Simpson and facilitator Kyne for the opportunity and knowledge acquired, and promised to work with victims in order to restore their hope.
The participants were later taken on a guided tour of the Samuel Grimes facility, which includes offices and sites where counseling will be held.