Monrovia – Fifteen-year-old David N. Harmon, part of a disadvantaged youth group known as zogo, has said that he never dreamt of ever been a part of an educational debate after becoming what he termed as “a disgrace to society.”
David told FrontPageAfrica that he got hooked on drugs when he was 12, after he started hanging out with some big guys and handling money he had no business handling at his age.
He recalled how the drugs used to make him feel: “I started with grass, (marijuana) and later went to Tramandol and then I started rolling marcay, which is the Italian White. I also used to flash cocaine. When I was smoking the drugs, it used to make me feel fine, like I am on top of the world. I would live in fantasy and imagine things that will never be, like I am a king or a president, with bodyguards minding me and everything at my command. I had no willing mind to leave drugs.”
Harmon and others, who are now involved into some constructive ventures, are now being helped by the New Life Recovery Center (NLRC).
He is among few youth, who are recovering from harmful substances. Some of those in recovery are ex-fighters, who took part in the country’s civil war, according to expert Eugene Davies, Executive Director for Liberians Against Drug Abuse.
“Many Zogos, who were child soldiers got hooked on drugs for 10 or more years, are engaged in the snatching away of valuables, to support their drug habits,” said Davies
“I got involved because I saw my friends with money; I wanted to handle big money, too. So I started doing what they did like smoking grass and mixing it with Italian white and cocaine. I stole from my aunts at home; then I started jerking people’s phones; tore people’s roof at night to steal electronics just to support the Nigerian man who was selling the drugs to me”
– Lloyd F. Brewer, 25
For David, he was taken from the ghetto, one morning, when his mother went along with two Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers, who had to drag him from the ghetto. His mother took him to the NLRC, where he has been going through counseling for more than over two months.
Now David and his colleagues at the NLRC, which is run by the United Methodist Church of Liberia, are on the road to being “cleaned” from the narcotics.
Recently, they took part in a debate in which they discussed on those responsible for Liberia’s underdevelopment.
Team Spartan, which David played for, argued that the government is responsible for the underdevelopment of Liberia. This team lost to Team Gladiator, who blamed external forces, like concession companies for the underdevelopment of Liberia. Gladiator was declared winner after judges reached the decision.
Expert Davies’ statement of youth on drugs and snatching away phones and valuables, is a complete example of Lloyd F. Brewer, 25, who got hooked on drugs eight years ago. To satisfy his bad habit, he robbed people of their valuables.
“I got involved because I saw my friends with money; I wanted to handle big money, too. So I started doing what they did like smoking grass and mixing it with Italian white and cocaine. I stole from my aunts at home; then I started jerking people’s phones; tore people’s roof at night to steal electronics just to support the Nigerian man who was selling the drugs to me,” said Brewer.
Brewer, who stopped in the 8th grade, wants to do Electricity as a career. On the debate day, he was very happy because he was graduating from the NLRC where he had spent a year being cleaned of drugs and learning about God from the Bible.
When FrontPageAfrica met him, he stated that while he was at the center, their director used to carry them to various ghettos to counsel other youths on drugs and tell them that Jesus loves them. “I tell them Jesus loves them because, if Jesus could do it for me, He can also do it for them, it is only left with them to be focused,” he said
He and David talked about a period in their recovery called the “June period.” According to them, this is a difficult time during their recovery as they no longer had access to drugs, it was excruciating leading to them constantly vomiting, feeling bad, having diarrhea, running nose and having teary eyes.
Speaking on the withdrawal method, Mr. Jefferson Knight, Program Director of UMC Human Rights Monitor and Supervisor of the NLRC, said they do not carry on the de-toxic method to wear the drugs out of the youth’s systems, but allow them to go through the withdrawal method the hard way.
“Within the withdrawal stage, they referred to as the June period, we only give them lemon grass and Lipton tea and after three days of going through all the challenges they listed, they are cleaned. We do not use the de-toxic method because it is dangerous. It intensifies the already existing drugs and any simple mistake they make, they are out,” said Knight
Speaking about the establishment of the Center, Mr. Knight said the center has been running for pretty close to two years. And it was built by the United Methodist Church to help rehabilitate disadvantaged youth and train them the Biblical way to help change others like them.
“The center has the capacity to take up to 25 young men at a time and so far, we have graduated over 25 youths, who are integrated into their communities. Presently, we have 12 young men here. Our program is strictly about Christianity,” said Knight.
Despite this good news, he disclosed that three of their fellows, have relapsed and returned to the ghettos. He indicated that as a way of further discouraging the ones in recovery from going back to the ghettos, he and others always take them to various ghettos to talk to other youth, who are there.
Theresa Caesar is the mother of Brewer, who was graduating from the center. She had gone to pick him up; she seemed a little worried that her son was leaving the recovery center and won’t be monitored. She feared that he was moving back into the same community he got hooked on drugs in the first place.
“He has changed but still needs guidance. I want to change where we live on DuPort Road, because it is the heart of the drug empire, but he has refused to stay at the center a little longer for me to relocate,” said Brewer’s mother
On how she discovered that her son was hooked on drugs, she said, “I noticed my son’s behavior changing, he used to be quite but when he started, he became very violent. He started coming home late and began to steal. For us working mothers, it is good you pay attention to your kids. When you come home from work, I know we are always tired but we should not sleep, we should talk with our kids, be able to communicate with them. Check their rooms to see what harmful stuffs are there. Get to know their friends they hang out with and the family their friends come from, then you will be able to help your child,” she said
Eric Gray, an Instructor, of the facility, said he teaches the Alpha course, an evangelistic course which introduces Christianity in a very simple and relaxed form. But he pointed out that it is challenging sometimes because at first the youth are in a withdrawn stage, but as time goes by they become relaxed and get involved.
Back to Harmon, he seemed happy to be among his friends and promised never to go back to drugs again when he leaves the center after a year, because his mind is made up.
“Once my mind is not made up, I can spend hundred years here and once I go out, I will smoke drugs but I want to be great when I leave from here and be a good example to my friends. I will go into the ghetto to help counsel my friends to leave drugs. I want to be grateful for this program, and to my friends, believe in God and keep on trying,” concluded Harmon.