An institution catering for over 350 disadvantaged youths at the Star Base, the National Rehabilitation for Drugs and War Affected Persons has made a passionate plea to President Joseph Boakai for training assistance to young addicts, who have detoxified.
Speaking recently, the institution’s Executive Director, Retired Colonel Augustine Nagbe said most of the young people need some professional skills training in order for them to reintegrate into the society.
He said some of these youth have been abandoned and are homeless for over ten years.
According to him, some parents of the youths are not in the position to host them anymore citing the importance of training for self-sustainability.
Nagbe explained that 40 youths have been reintegrated into the society after the completion of their detoxification. He explained that most of them are returning without any basic professional skills to fetch for themselves.
However, he stated that baking has been introduced for females and carpentry has been introduced for the males.
Nagbe further noted he is personally using at least six 25Kg bags of rice and 20,000 Liberian Dollars for feeding on a daily basis because some of the parents who brought their children cannot afford to feed or sponsor them through the rehabilitation program.
Nagbe added that he has hired the services of ten nurses who 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 mega salary he earns, and from the profits of his private security firm, Mano River Union Security.
“I am spending so much and running bankrupt if assistance does not come in as soon as possible because these youths are future leaders in this country, he said “
He underscored the need for government to establish a school and other vocational training center for the youths.
