National Youth Project Receives Boost From the United Nations in Liberia and Partners

The program brought together United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Niels Scott, Laurent Delahousse, Head of the European Mission to Liberia and other foreign diplomats. Also in attendance from the government were Finance and Development Planning Minister , Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., Youth and Sports Minister, D. Zeogar Wilson and Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba Koijee, among others.

The National At-Risk Youth document was drafted in 2021 and endorsed by the cabinet in February 2022 to rehabilitate at-risk youth through technical vocational skills and social circle counseling process in order to make them self-reliant and productive citizens to promote peace in the society. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as the lead Ministry the project, along with the Ministry of Health, Gender, Justice, and Finance, among others. 

Making the disclosure at the high-level  dinner hosted by the United Nations and other international partners, Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., said the US$13 million fundraising marks the beginning of a comprehensive holistic approach against drug abuse and the rehabilitation & reintegration of at-risk youth.

“Today’s dinner is the beginning of the framing and partnership on the at-risk youth project. President George Weah sees this approach as [a] step toward mitigating the influx of at-risk youth across the country,” said Mr. Tweah. “He also sees this as a most significant threat to the country and based upon that, he endorsed the national plan for a comprehensive holistic approach against the fight of drugs and the rehabilitation of our at-risk youth” .

Giving an overview of the project, Youth and Sports Minister, D. Zeogar Wilson,  noted that  a technical team comprising Liberia’s partners from the UN had been established, based on request from the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Niels Scott, to develop a national plan to address the concern of At-risk youth across the country. According to him, the National At-Risk Youth Project will provide psychosocial counseling, detoxification, vocational and technical skills training, family reintegration and make them serviceable to the society to be good citizens.

Mr. Niels Scott, United Nations Resident Coordinator, expressed excitement over the program and pledged the UN’s continued support toward transforming the youth across the country. He stated that the United Nations and development partners have supported this government’s efforts not only to ensure peace but social justice and increased access to social services throughout the country.