In a passionate and moving statement, Nobel Peace Laureate, Madam Leymah Gbowee, has promised additional US$40,000 to the Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration (CFRR), if her God child stays clean from drugs for the next few months. The center was established and funded by influential Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon.
Although the outspoken international peace advocate did not disclose the identity of the child, she said such a development means that "the system and structure in here is doing the right thing."
Madam Gbowee made the statement recently when she cut the ribbon to an annex to the CFRR Center at Cooper Farm, Paynesville. The annex named "Leymah & Nyonblee Recovery Lodge," will facilitate twelve (12) more clients, and includes a computer laboratory, with 12 laptop computers.
She disclosed that through funding from Melinda Gates in the amount of US$20 million dollars for worldwide support, she met with the board of CFRR and decided to make a small donation of US$10,000, which initially contributed to the construction of the annex.
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"At the heart of every society is the involvement of women and girls in the development of that country. And when you get to a place where you have girls/ women who have gotten to a point where substances and different forms of addiction have become an issue for them; coming to places like this is never a pleasure," Madam Gbowee lamented.
"We hope that what has been done here will bring them back to a state where they are able to contribute to the development of Liberia," she asserted.
Early this year, Gbowee disclosed that she was one of those who were fortunate to have been granted $20 million by Melinda Gates to distribute to different organizations across the world.
"And when the funds came, it came with a lot of headaches; it's for women and girls and we were supposed to give it to organizations. Immediately, we set up a team of people, and we named the fund, "the hand that gives" in the Kpelleh vernacular," she narrated.
"We decided to look around not just Liberia, but other parts of the world to see what was being done. Following a review of the CFRR board's documents, we decided that we were going to make a small donation to the facility (rehab center) to help with the girls, and we made a $10,000 donation to this facility. I'm very happy to see that that small amount has translated into additional space; I wish it wasn't additional space, because additional space means that we still have a major crisis in our country, where substance abuse and other forms of abuse is still a problem."
Interestingly she said when she gave the amount to the center, she had no clue that one of her goddaughters was living there.
"So, two days ago, I got a call that my daughter is there...and I was sad, but I'm also glad that there is a form of help for her and for many others. We all know that life is very hard and I don't try to stand here to judge anybody, including my own child," she said. "Because everyone's experience of hardship, of abuse, of suffering is different; some people can withstand it and will move on."
"So, my hope for all of you is that this is a big investment; what we have given is just a drop in the bucket, compared to what other people have been giving to this particular place."
She expressed hope and challenged them to go all out and make a turn around and be somebody; "I know you can make it. There are other women and men who graduated from this program and are doing exceedingly well, and you too can do so. You step out, use your skills to be somebody."
However, she admonished them to have God at the center of their journey to a total and positive change and turn around.
"The faith I have in God is that this can only be possible if you give your life to Christ; because if you say you're going to do it on your own, it's not going to be possible, because God has to be at the center of it all. As we cut the ribbon, we pray and hope that this group will be the last. We don't want women and girls coming to these places, especially with their babies."
As a perfectionist, Madam Gbowee thinks the center is doing a good work but agreed that much more is needed to be done.
River Gee County Senator Jonathan BoyCharles Sogbie, who was visiting the center for the second time, thanked Senator Dillon for working to ensure that the cross section of the citizens are once more reintegrated into the society.
"What hurts me is that when we do all this work, you get better and go back and relapse; when you get better, please don't go and get back to what brought you here. He then thanked his colleague for the computer lab, describing computer literacy as the way forward. He promised to provide five additional sewing machines to the Irene & Krubo Tailoring center to ensure that more of them get something into their heads.
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Senator Dillon, during the ceremony disclosed that the center has recovered over 200 persons since it was established in 2021, and out of that number, three or four went to relapse; "we are doing contact tracing."
He disclosed that Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has given the center a whole facility in Grand Bassa, and the board has sent a team and has done an estimate, and that she has contributed $10,000 already.
Meanwhile, Senator said he looks forward to inviting President Joseph Boakai, the Ministers of Health, and Youth & Sports and First Lady Katumuh Boakai, together with the LDEA leadership to grace the next graduating occasion; hoping that the center can be used as a pilot project for the government to see that it is doable.
As Senator, he asserted that the government has provided logistics, taken LDEA budget from $2 million in the last six years, and with the 2026 projection, has taken LDEA budget to over US$7million.
The brief ceremony was graced by Montserrado County Superintendent Whroway Bryant, Member of CFRR board, Cllr Charlene Brumskine who proxy for Senator Lawrence, and L Liberty Party Secretary General Martin Kollah, who is also one of the vision bearers of the Center.
