BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa- The Liberia Crusaders for Peace or LCP, a local Non-governmental organization has begun a life skills development and empowerment program for adolescents and young people in Nimba and Grand Bassa counties.

Launching the program in Buchanan, LCP Executive Director, Jude Endee disclosed that the goal of the program is to get teenagers off the Streets and engage them into businesses and help them become peer educators to help others grow and get empowered through education and networking for economic development.

Endee disclosed that the under the program, LCP will provide skills training and economic development opportunities for young people and organize townhall meetings and carryout awareness on the danger of teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, as well as illicit consumptions.

She said the program is supported by UNICEF and will be implemented simultaneously in Buchanan and Ganta cities to impact, especially vulnerable adolescent girls.

“We are actually carrying out this program in Ganta and Buchanan based on knowledge attitude and a practical survey conducted, we noticed that there are lots of vulnerable girls in Ganta and Buchanan cities,” she said.

“After the training, the beneficiaries will be linked a special access to opportunity, like job, market, agriculture for economic empowerment.”

According to her, more than 400 adolescents are expected to benefit from the Life Skills Development and Empowerment program in the two counties. She said 20 of the participants will be recruited and trained as peer facilitators. She said the aim of the peer facilitator, she said would be to motivate other participants.

Endee noted that the program is at the same time being replicated in other counties by different partner organizations, under the general supervision of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Currently, she said recruitment was ongoing.

“We want to take those teenagers from the street. We need them to positively contribute to the growth and development of mama Liberia,” she said; also, adding that: “They are the future leaders and if we do not take them from the street now to transform their lives through these programs, I can tell you that they are not going to make any impact on society.”

She believes that adolescent girls would take advantage of the opportunity to develop their natural talents and become useful in society.

Feature photo by Sampson David