Monrovia, Liberia – The National Rehabilitation for Narcotics and War-Affected Persons, an organization that serves over 350 underprivileged young people at Star Base, has fervently appealed to President Joseph Boakai for support in providing training to young people who have detoxified from narcotics.
Retired Colonel Augustine Nagbe, also known as “General Power,” the institution’s executive director, asserted that in order for most young people to successfully reintegrate into society, they require some professional skills.
Colonel Nagbe added, “Some of these youths abandoned their homes over ten years ago,” when giving journalists a guided tour of the facility housing them. He claimed that the youths require some training for self-sustainability because some of their parents are no longer able to host them.
After completing their detoxification, 40 young people were reintegrated into society, according to Nagbe, who also stated, “My worry now is that most of them are returning without any basic professional skills to care for themselves. I have made arrangements with some people, and carpentry has been introduced for the boys, while baking has been introduced for the girls.”
In order to feed the children on a daily basis, I currently utilize five to six 25-kg bags of rice and twenty US dollars because some of the parents who brought some of the youngsters are unable to support or feed them through the rehabilitation program.
Nagbe added that he has hired the services of ten nurses, whom he pays from his pocket, and a team of men and women who assist him in managing the program.
According to him, he is feeding the youths from the minimum salary he earns from working at the National Bureau of Veteran Affairs and from the profits of his private security firm, known as Mano River Union Security.
The Executive Director of the National Rehabilitation for Drugs and War Affected People underscored the need for the government to establish a school and other vocational training for the youths at the institution.
Following his inauguration, Liberian President Joseph Boakai assigned a special task group to evaluate rehabilitation programs across the nation, emphasizing that the rehabilitation of underprivileged youngsters should be a top priority for the government.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
