By Jamesetta D Williams
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has outlined a series of reforms and achievements recorded during the first 100 days of the administration of Minister Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu Pratt, highlighting progress in institutional strengthening, youth empowerment, technical and vocational education, and sports development.
Presenting the Ministry’s 100-Day Action Report during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Acting Minister of Youth and Sports and Deputy Minister for Youth Development, F. Alphonso Y. Belleh II, said the Ministry’s initial focus was to assess the state of its operations and develop evidence-based interventions to improve service delivery across the country.
Belleh disclosed that one of the Ministry’s first major activities was a nationwide assessment tour of all 15 counties, describing it as the first independent county tour conducted by the Ministry in nearly two decades.
According to him, the tour enabled the Ministry to inspect youth and sports facilities, engage directly with young people, and better understand the challenges, aspirations, and opportunities facing Liberia’s youth.
“The county tour revealed significant disparities between rural and urban communities,” Belleh said. “While many young people remain hopeful about the future, others continue to face limited opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, and a lack of access to essential youth services.”
He noted that the assessment also exposed serious institutional challenges, including poorly maintained youth centers, inactive vocational training institutions, and inadequate staffing across the Ministry’s facilities.
The Acting Minister said the findings prompted the Ministry to launch wide-ranging institutional reforms aimed at improving efficiency and strengthening service delivery.
Among the reforms, Belleh said the Ministry recruited 50 personnel to fill critical vacancies at its headquarters, county offices, and technical institutions. He also announced the establishment of the Ministry’s first fully functional Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate to improve planning, accountability, and performance tracking.
Additionally, the Ministry strengthened its financial oversight mechanisms, expanded its research capacity, and activated a Gender and Social Inclusion Unit to ensure greater participation of women, girls, and persons with disabilities in its programs.
On youth empowerment, Belleh said the Ministry has launched five flagship programs across Liberia’s 15 counties under Pillar Five of the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
He disclosed that, through partnerships with development organizations including UNICEF and UNFPA, the Ministry has reached nearly 8,000 young people through various empowerment initiatives, while more than 65,000 youths have benefited from programs implemented nationwide.
Belleh further announced that 253 participants have graduated from the former National Service Program, which has now transitioned into the National Youth Pathways Program.
According to him, the Ministry has already recruited and deployed 1,150 young people under the new initiative and is preparing to deploy an additional 3,500 youths through the Government’s Vacation Job Program in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour.
The Ministry has also expanded support for adolescent girls and young women, enrolling 2,866 beneficiaries in empowerment programs focused on leadership, education, and economic opportunities.
Through its Community Literacy Program and the A4AD initiative, thousands of out-of-school youth are receiving literacy education and vocational skills training in several counties, while a sexual and reproductive health program supported by UNFPA is providing peer education and life-skills training to adolescent girls in Grand Bassa and Montserrado counties.
Belleh reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that young Liberians across all 15 counties have access to education, skills development, employment opportunities, and programs that promote their full participation in national development.
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