MONROVIA – Scores of disadvantaged Liberian youths are salvaging dumpsites for survival in post-conflict Liberia due to the lack of robust plans by past and current governments to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into the society.
By Obediah Johnson
Disadvantaged youths are commonly known as “Zogos” in Liberia.
Many of them are drug addicts who stormed various dumpsites and garbage near cemeteries and densely populated communities in Monrovia on a daily basis, searching for fairly used electronic or other materials including, copper, irons and plastic bottles, among other to sell.
Their situation of salvaging dumpsites was prevalent under the administration of former Liberian President George Manneh Weah. However, it continues under the Unity Party (UP) led-government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa recently, the Spokesperson of disadvantaged youths at the famous Pelhum Building on Broad Street in Monrovia, Ika January disclosed that disadvantaged youths are engaged into retrieving fairly used-materials from dumpsites due to the failure of government to put in place programs to remove them from the streets.
Pelhum Building serves as a home to over 300 disadvantaged citizens, who are mainly young people. He also attributed the situation to lack of job opportunities for young people in Liberia.
He maintained that most often, disadvantaged youths or Zogos are referred to as “criminals and hijackers” by other peaceful citizens and foreign residents, who are not informed about the constraints they go through to fetch food for themselves without violating the laws of the country.
January emphasized that though the salvaging of dumpsites to survive is inhumane and horrible; many disadvantaged youths are constrained to do so to sustain and prevent themselves from dying from hunger.
“A bulk of the people thinks that we are criminals and hijackers. Somebody who is involved in crime will not come here to stand for food or live here. They will keep away if he or she has something to sustain him or herself when they commit crime. But this is their headquarters; people from different spectrums come to live here so that they can be away from crime.”
January added that the leadership at the Pelhum Building remains focus to ensure that those seeking refuge at the facility are free from the commission of crimes.
He noted that disadvantaged youths or “Zogos” residing at the facility do not get irritated for being stereotyped by other citizens.
“The reason why you see some of our comrades are in the garbage and others are loading cars is because they want to do away from crimes. So, they do high labor jobs just for survival. I don’t think it is a proud thing for someone to go in garbage to extract cans to go and sell. No matter the terminology they used on us, it doesn’t irritate us.”
He stated that despite the negative branding, disadvantaged youths will continue to remain patient “until the appropriate time reaches for our transformation and to be reintegrated into the society.”
January described as a “waste of time” the searching of dumpsites and garbage by disadvantaged youths who are anxiously waiting to be transformed into the society by government or its partners.
He said despite their horrible and ragged appearance, many of them are peaceful and law-abiding citizens who also go into the communities to throw garbage away for other citizens just to earn something to survive.
He said though philanthropists and others occasionally provide meal for disadvantaged youths, those meals are not consistently forthcoming, something which compelled, them to fetch for themselves by searching for fairly used items on dumpsites for survival.
January stated that severe hunger most often leads to the commission of crime and as such, many disadvantaged young people in Liberia see the salvaging of dumpsites as a mean to provide food for themselves and their families.
He pointed out that during major holidays, the leadership at Pelhum Building provides for all its occupants by taxing everyone a specific amount to jointly cook food.
However, he maintained that friendly individuals and philanthropists provide them food.
“There are people living here (at Pelhum Building) who are partners or couple and others are single. So, we don’t differentiate as you can see. Right now, we need medicines for our comrades who are sick”
January maintained that though it is quite difficult, disadvantaged youths are willing to do away from the intake of dangerous substances.
“It will take time and it is hard actually to leave drugs, but we really want to do away with substances. The government, UNDP and other institutions that want to see the youth transformed and become useful should come to our aid. Until then, we will remain patient until they can come and rehabilitate us.”
He stressed that many of those who are victims of drug trafficking are high-school, college drop-outs, acquired vocational skills training and are yielding to be transformed to contribute their quotas to the recovery process of the nation.
“We are not reintegrated in the society; we have no access to job opportunities.”
January noted that those who are being rehabilitated and achieved vocational skills training at other rehabilitation centers in Monrovia and other parts of the country, should be empowered with the requisite tools as a “start-up kit” to earn a living.
He said communities continue to stigmatize those who have graduated and return to their respective homes due to the lack of logistical empowerment.
“Some people in the communities are stigmatizing our friends who have returned saying ‘oh this man has come again-this and that.’ Because some of our friends do not like that, they come back here (at Pelhum Building). Even if he steals and comes back, for the fact that he sees his comrade doing the same thing, he will come back here again.”
January said from one government to another, the “same old thing” continues, as their conditions continue to worsen on a daily basis.
He claimed that disadvantaged youths are “traumatized” due to alleged abandonment and the lack of support towards their rehabilitation and reintegration.
As a result of this, he maintained that their living conditions are “deplorable.”
The trafficking of dangerous drugs and substances in Liberia remains an aged-old problem.
No government is on record for cracking down on the illicit trafficking and sale of narcotic and other substances in Liberia.
During his first Annual Message to the 55th National Legislature, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai declined drugs as a “national emergency.”
He also established a national drug taskforce and requested her public officials to join him and his Vice President Jeremiah Koung to take their drug test. However, many public officials are yet to follow suit.
The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), headed by former Deputy Director for Operations Abraham Kromah, has been exerting efforts to crackdown on notorious drug traffickers and dealers in the country.
The new administration has proposed multiple strategies, including the provision of money for intelligence to arrest and prosecute those trafficking cocaine and other dangerous substances.
But logistical and financial challenges, low salaries to officers of the LDEA continue to serve as major impediments strangulating the fight against the menace.
Quoting the United Nations latest statistics on Liberia, Deputy LDEA Director for Operations Hassan Fadiga disclosed that two in 10 youths in Liberia are on narcotics or substance abuse in the country. With this, he said, about 20% of the country’s population or 1.1million citizens are affected.
This alarming statistics must serve as a wakeup call to government and its partners to find a solution as part of efforts to guarantee sustainable peace and security in the society.