-Competes Against Teams from Development Partners, Ghettos
MONTSERRADO COUNTY – A day of sporting events organized by the National Steering Committee on the rehabilitation of At-Risk-Youth in the country was successfully held at the Invincible Park on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The event is part of activities leading up to a national fundraiser later this week intended to mobilize resources to deal with the problem posed by the burgeoning population of young people in this category.
At Saturday’s event, President George M. Weah led a team representing the Government of Liberia against the One UN System in the country, headed by the UN’s Resident Coordinator Ambassador Neils Scott. They competed in various sporting disciplines, such as football, kickball, and basketball. There were also teams from underprivileged communities and ghettos in Monrovia, including Peace Island, “Zimbabwe” (a shelter for vulnerable youth), Old Road, Vai Town, and “Chinese Town”.
The games were preceded by an awareness program held on Thursday, June 23, 2022, on Center Street in Monrovia. The venue has served as a “cradle” for delinquent youth over the years. That program brought together hundreds of At-Risk-Youths and stakeholders in the sector. There, prominent Indian businessman Upjit Singh Sachdeva, who is locally known as ‘Jetty’, announced his intention to provide about a hundred jobs to youth who complete the government’s planned rehabilitation programs.
The head of the National Steering Committee, Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson has said the upcoming national fundraiser, which will take place on Thursday, June 30, 2022, will bring together officials of government, International partners, the business community, civil society, the diplomatic corps, as well as Liberians in the diaspora.
Minister Wilson explained that the goal is to raise US$13.8 million as an initial amount that will be used to shelter and provide rehabilitation for tens of thousands of At-Risk Youth in the country. Part of the money, he said, will also be used to renovate the Youth Agriculture Training Center in Bensonville, in order to transform it into a modern rehabilitation center.
