Monrovia — Mr. Darlingboy Isiah Mayon, CEO of the Mayon Foundation, has praised the recent wave in public participation to combat drug addiction in Liberia, calling the widespread support a long-awaited answer to years of his personal advocacy and investment.
While applauding the large turnout for recent anti-drug marches, Mayon urged Liberians to shift their focus from mere awareness to building a robust system of reform, particularly by ending the practice of stigmatizing those who are addicted or have been incarcerated.
"I am very grateful to the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ that I can be alive to see that what I have struggled and invested in for years has come to make sense in Liberia," Mayon said.
"I was so happy when I saw people in numbers marching in the rain to combat drug abuse in our country."
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However, Mayon stressed that awareness campaigns, while important, only address part of the problem. He identified stigmatization as a primary reason many people continue to struggle with addiction.
"We Liberians are very quick to stigmatize people, and when you do that, you are pushing the person away," he explained. "When they get away, they feel more loved to that particular act, and when they get addicted, it's very hard to get them out."
He extended this concern beyond drug addiction, noting that individuals who have been imprisoned or even handcuffed are often ostracized by their communities.
He cited the example of family and friends being afraid to visit an incarcerated loved one, leaving them isolated and without a support system.
"Only inmates are the ones to counsel you," Mayon said. "Liberia, we have to start understanding that these things happen in society, but what is best is the system of reform to correct the person to understand that there is a second chance for everything."
Mayon pointed to Kenya's capital, Nairobi, as a successful model for reform. He recalled that in 2008, the city was notoriously unsafe, with visitors advised to "hold your bag tight." He noted that today, Nairobi is much safer due to its focus on a "huge reformed system that reduced those threats to society."
"Liberia can do the same," he asserted. "I am asking not only the government but the people of Liberia to stop stigmatizing and focus on reform. In that case, we will see a difference in our fight against any threat, not only drugs, and our beloved country will be safe and people will be happy to walk around freely."
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