Home Catering for Disadvantaged Youth Craves Gol Support

Since the end of the civil war in 2023, Liberia has been made to fight another war- the war on drug and substance abuse. With limited government treatment facilities including psychiatric hospital, and rehabilitation centers for drug users, the Liberia National Rehabilitation for Drugs and War Affected Persons (Veteran Home) was birthed in 2018 to provide critical support to disadvantaged youth, war affected persons, and children on drugs.

Located on the Liberia National Coast Guard Base in Bushrod Island, the Veteran home is currently catering to about 550 drug affected persons including women and children hooked on drug and other harmful substance. But the cost of operation and sustainability has posed a major challenge to the program.

“We are running this program to support the government efforts in providing care for those drug and substance abuser in Liberia”, said Augustine J. Nagbe, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Veteran Home.

Nagbe pointed out that the issue of drug and substance abuse is not the business of the government alone but it is everyone’s business. This, he said is due to the fact that the effect is felt by everyone.

He stressed that to address the issue and ensure a secured future for its victims, will require the collective efforts of everyone. “Everyone has a role to play to combat this deadly virus within our society as the growth of every nation depends on the youthful population”, he said.

With the current enrollment placed at five hundred males and 50 females amounting to 550 students, sourcing the funds to purchase medication, three meals a day, and others have been a major challenge chiefly because the home is self-supported.

He is calling on well-meaning organizations and individuals including the government of Liberia to support the initiative with whatever they have to help save the future of those victims.

In June 2022, the Government of Liberia and partners launched a national fund drive in support of a program for the rehabilitation and empowerment of At-Risk Youth. The total funds needed are estimated at 13.5 Million. The Program is yet to commence yet the Government committed one million during the launch and has also allocated additional one million in the 2023 national budget.

While other Non-profit organizations and individuals are providing small scale, non-clinical and limited drug treatment services for substance users in Liberia, A national clinical drug rehabilitation programme is far from being realized.

Due to the lack of treatment, care and support, we have also noticed increasing death rate of substance users living on the streets which have been attributed to the introduction of a new substance (KUSH- street name) and also prevalence of TB among drug users also contribute significantly to the rising death rate. The lack of Drug Demand Reduction initiative has also contributed to the increasing illnesses among substance users.

A Global Action for Sustainable Development report puts the number of ghettos in Monrovia to over 866.