BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — The Rama Tender-Care Rehabilitation Center in Sanniquellie, Nimba County is craving for partnership to help fight back substance use in youthful Liberian generations. Drug abuse and addiction continue to negatively impact the lives of many individuals in varying circumstances.
Substance abuse remains a major problem in Liberia, with a 2022 UNFPA report revealing that 2 in 10 youths use narcotics — often leading young people, especially those in ghettos and cemeteries, to resort to crime, including armed robbery. In an interview with Women Voices Newspaper Tuesday at her Rama Tender Care Rehabilitation Center, CEO and founder, Madam Juliet Wilson underscored challenges of having an addiction to drugs and seeking treatment.
Madam Wilson described drug substance addiction as a disease that many young people deal with on a daily basis — aged 12 and up are highly affected by substance use disorder. As drug abuse widespread in the country amongst young people, the Rama Tender-Care Rehabilitation Center is the first of its kind in Nimba County — providing services such as psychosocial counseling, inpatient rehabilitation, and drug testing.
Founded 2024 and effective operation in March, this year, Madam Wilson revealed that the center aimed to support people living with substance abuse disorder.
“So the center was established last year and opened in March this year to serve Nimba and surrounding counties of Liberia; because most of the counties around don’t have rehab,” she said.
She added “Southeast doesn’t have a rehab. Nimba as well as Bong County. So the center is relatively serving the counties around.” As private entity, Rama Tender Care Rehabilitation Center Chief Executive Officer rallied support from the government, NGOs, and kind-hearted individuals to further help the center’s mission.
“This is a private entity, owned and operated by me solely. We have not had support coming; people who sometimes we wish out to come in to help us; we just have people who are our friends; so we don’t have any support,” CEO Wilson called for partnership and support to end addiction in young Liberians.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai declared drug abuse a National Health Emergency and vowed to take swift action — a key challenge remains the shortage of rehabilitation centers across the country.
CEO Juliet Wilson, expressed frustration over the conditions of disadvantaged youths, or “Zogos.” She emphasized her goal to help transform them into productive citizens.
Madam Wilson disclosed that inpatients do not pay bill to fully sustain the centre smooth operation, as such, patients are treated on charity — rallying support.
“…but, yet and still we manage, you know, with the small resources, we have to be able to run the facility,” she said.
She further emphasized “I come from the background where my brother and my nephew are addicts. And you know, sometimes it bothers me to see young people about 70% population of Liberia who we depend as future leaders going down the drain, intake drugs, becoming addicts, stay in the graveyard; while some just lived their lives in the street, even vulnerable females. So based on that, I decided to open a center with all I have worked for all the years.”
She said the Rama Tender Care Rehabilitation Center prioritizes female from across the country at the rehab center.
“We take people from all parts of Liberia. We went to Bong County the last time we took one female, but for other reasons we had to return her; and then we took another female from here in Ganta with another male, but for other reasons she told us she wants to go and she had to leave.”
Detailing the center’s success story, Madam Wilson highlighted that the facility contains clinic — runs three months treatment for patients’ recovery.
She revealed that since resuming operations in March, this year, most of the patients, predominantly males have shown improving symptoms from addiction — discharging one male patient to his family on June 30, 2025.
“… but, I can tell you that we’ve had a lot of successes because you see most of our clients here they’ve improved and we’ve discharged one client who was relatively on charity,” Wilson added.
Recounting challenges faced by her rehab center, CEO Juliet Wilson stated that her challenges are enormous, including house structure rental fee, water and electricity bills, and food — accommodating about 35-50 persons.
The Rama Tender- Care Rehabilitation Center is a recognized substance abuse treatment center — provides standardized healthcare service, pay tax to government’s revenue, and registered with Liberia Medical and Dental Council.
Meanwhile, scores of young people addicted to substance abuse seeking rehabilitation at the center have condemned their actions, attributing it to “Peer pressure and family issues.”
They also described their rehabilitation as an opportunity for recovery — pledged never to turn back but to key focus on the future ahead to contribute to the society.
“Since I been here, I was addicted to substance but as for my own observation I think it’s been going well with me. Yes, I am going through with my medication; I’m good. What got me to be involved; I can say these days we get peer pressure. What I saw my friends doing encouraged me to join it; and I was involved through peer pressure. But, I want to say that it is an opportunity for change. I have already decided to forgo everything and be a good person in the future because the future lies on me, a 22-year-old drug substance victim seeking treatment and rehabilitation at Rama Tender Care Rehabilitation Center narrated.
For his part, an 18-year-old victim shifted blames on family, stating that “not like really peer pressure, but family issues. Something I feel like cold and want to ease my stress, and make myself happy. I’m a high school graduate with skills. Since I been here at Rama Tender Care Rehabilitation Center things have been very good; I am getting okay. I want to say to my fellow friends outside there you lived life for yourself. Whatever you do, you do it for yourself and also for the public. If you build a good place in society, it’s not only for everyone. All people will benefit. But if you allow yourself to support and get addicted to drugs substance and you’re not turning back, you have to do things for the future. Drug is not good. It makes people lose respect for you. You don’t earn the money.”
