PHOTO: Alfred Kollie, Executive Director of Rescue Youth International
As Liberians join the rest of the World to celebrate World Mental Health day on October 10, 2022, the Founder and Executive Director of a local NGO, Rescue Youth International, Alfred Kollie is calling on government to make mental illness a top health priority in the country.
The increase of mentally ill persons in Liberia has become and continues to become a common illness that victimized people of all ages, regardless of ethnicity, fraternity, religious affiliation and or status in Life.
According to Kollie, the issue of mental health cannot and should not be ignored and allowed to permeate society without the immediate intervention of government.
Kollie who is a always passionate about young people well-being noted that there is a need for the CDC led government to act and accept the situation with policies to address and impact the growing threat.
‘’Our institution has over the past two years being engage in mental health education, training and awareness in several high schools within Paynesville City aimed at education young people on the danger of mental illness and drugs abuse thereby encouraging mainly students to do away with act that would undermine their existence and potential as young people,’’ Mr. Kollie noted.
The Executive Director of the group noted that the issue of alcohol drinks and drugs abuse has become a normal activity for young people in Liberia, something he observed is destroying the youthful population in the country.
Risk behavior has grave health and social implications that have been overlooked by many actors and citizens thus resulting to tragic motor accidents, increase in criminal activities across the country, Mr. Kollie said.
Rescue Youth International (RYI) is a non for nonprofit, nongovernmental and a charity Organization founded September 5, 2019 by a Liberian Journalist, Alfred Kollie with the purpose of giving back to society especially underprivileged in Liberia and the World at large
Mr. Kollie, a young man who came from a remote village in Lofa County Liberia, thought to give back to society particularly underprivileged Children, youth and adults through Charity, Education, Youth Empowerment, Mental health education, Community base Developmental initiatives(sanitation), Period Poverty, Human rights and Advocacy after the saw the dying need in these areas.
‘’Being a Christian humanitarian, developed the passion of positively imparting my community, Nation and the world after I was inspired seeing vulnerable children and youth in several communities across Liberia not in school but rather seeing them selling and begging in the streets for handouts or survival and seeing other girls in teenage pregnancy due to lack of parental support, care and education something that gave me the courage to help the underprivileged, vulnerable, physically children, youth and adults by impacting their lives and society through my organization programs,’’ the Rescue Youth International Executive Director added.