Jutomue's 2024 Highlights

USAID Launches to Empower 21,000 Youth in Liberia 

One third of the population of Liberia is between the ages of 15 to 35. Sadly, youth make up the majority of the unemployed, and therefore building their employability skills should be a focus for everyone.

Notwithstanding, Liberia’s unemployment rate is said to be high between 75-85 percent. The question we ask ourselves is what will happen if we do not continue initiating such program. Well, we will have many drug addicts and the crime rate will increase. George Carlin said, “Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s. ”

That is why, serious attention needs to be paid to the critical importance of vocational preparedness and the development of key employability skills particularly for youths who have not been formally educated.

Since 2019, I have worked with an NGO known as SHALOM as Advocacy Officer. SHALOM with funding from UNICEF Liberia provides annually vocational skills to hundreds of vulnerable adolescents and youth in Pastry, Cosmetology, Tailoring and Hospitality. Similarly to the USAID Youth Advance Activity, it aims to provide young people vocational skills by making them self-reliance.

To conclude, we extend thanks and appreciation to USAID on behalf of the young people of Liberia for the Youth Advance activity which aims to increase the economic self-reliance and resilience of Liberian youth in four counties.  We pray and hope that other NGOs and INGOs will integrate vocational skills training for young people in their programs and engagements.