Liberia’s drugs problem and the painstaking journey to healing the wounds of war-part 2  

Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher

A young Liberian, Josephine Kolubah has been working hard to rescue streets folks otherwise called “Zogos” from drug addictions and reintegrate them into mainstream society. Her effort is paying off-with eleven former “drug-addicts” now set totally free, while thirteen currently undergo rehab treatment. “JOJO”, as she’s well known, is greatly succeeding where many, including the “civilized world” have obviously failed. Why so? Please read on…   

Continue from our last edition

Challenges of restoring ‘drugs-addicted’ person 

Narcotic is defined as “a drug or other substance(s) [these include heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, tramadol and codeine] that affects mood or behavior and is consumed for nonmedical purposes, especially one sold illegally.” All of the referenced drugs, including marijuana are now found to be common, and easily accessible among Liberian users as cited earlier. 

Working to get someone to get off narcotic drugs or “renounce” it can be an arduous task for any care-taker and there’s a reason why. Firstly, the “drug” so used, may have adjusted well into the addict’s bloodstream that it becomes almost impossible for the person to live normal life without the use of the drug. 

Secondly, the obsessive use of “drugs” or any other element can be associated with a “spirit” and unless such spirit is driven out of the afflicted individual and he receives deliverance (this is another whole chapter), through the WORD of God, the rehab exercises may not work effectively or yield better results.

Take the western world for example, where addicts often suffer “drug-overdose” relapses and even death! Of the thousands that enter rehab each year, a huge percent has been found reverting to drug abuse, almost just as they had begun rehab exercises. Why? Because, health workers (often not Christians), only perform the scientific aspect, leaving the “Spiritual” side.

This endeavor can be attributed to ignorance! Consoling, therapy and even the changing of the individual’s “environment” aren’t enough. Only God’s Deliverance, followed by the constant use of the WORD of God (Bible verses) can drive away the demonic spirits connected with “addiction” letting the person be permanently set free.      

WORD of God as support mechanism 

For folks at JOJO Hope House of Substance Freedom who appear so high-spirited and responding well to treatments-one may say they are certainly blessed to have their resource and program director as Christian. 

For Josephine whose parents, mainly mother, is a devout Christian, taking people off narcotics-who consumed drugs for many years-couldn’t be done so easily via scientific methods; not even changing relocating one is enough to keep him from drug abuse. JOJO and her team had to get the LORD heavily involved.  

They had to trust and depend on God to do it as the Bible says. “But with God all things are possible” (Matthews 19:26). It means the procedure had to be backed by the WORD of God, which is exactly what JOJO, her mother and siblings have been doing since founding the Lorma-Gia-Tia.  

What more can a father, mother or someone do for you than sharing the WORD of God with you, which shall eventually help save your soul? 

JOJO’s Hope House is doing the right thing by giving clients the Bible or the WORD in replacement of narcotic drugs, something much of the “civilized world” has refused to do, or yet to acknowledge. Hence no wonder why they find it difficult to get the desired results when it comes to helping “addicts” get off harmful drugs permanently.

Let’s examine it from a common sense perspective. If you wish to help someone get rid of a chronic or “bad habit,” you must consider something “positive” that would replace that which you wish to remove. In other words, you have to fill the vacuum. And what else could better fit here than God’s WORD? Nothing!

Luke 11:24 clearly tells of the need to occupy voidness with the WORD. “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.” The Bible states when this happens the person’s condition becomes even worse than the first state. “Unclean spirit” in this sense could be “substance abuse,” not necessarily a demonic spirit! 

However, just in case some of the beneficiaries haven’t yet accepted Christ as their LORD and SAVIOR, JOJO Hope House’s team is advised to kindly lead each through Sinner’s Prayer and have such person confessed his/her sins, renounce “drug addiction” and accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior so as to hasten recovery.

JOJO shows ‘God’s love’ for human beings

The Bible says that “God is love” in 1 John 4:8 and we know because His love for us Christians, is uncountable beside forgiving our sins. 

But how many Christians do really show God’s type of love or agape (unconditional) love for their fellow man? Of course, not many people.

For Josephine, she showed agape love to those folks earlier on just by leaving her ‘comfort (life) zone’ and stepping into a ghetto setting to socialize with total strangers” although Liberians, whom society had rejected because of their “class.” Of course, it was a high risk on JOJO’s part; not many would attempt to reach out to folks who may have been associated with a gang. But she and her group did so. 

Also imagine if the whole of society were to treat you-your loved ones with such disdain, ascribing such a distasteful title as “Zogo” to you or loved ones. Definitely your self-esteem or that of your loved ones could be bound to grow cold. Yet, that’s what society has done to these folks for a long period: it hurts, and they told JOJO before.

But while general society has treated Zogos as “untouchables” people, JOJO didn’t push them away fortunately. In fact, she rushed by their side, sharing jokes, dancing, socializing, and sharing meals with them all. She lets them ride in her SUV, making them feel they too are no less than other Liberians which is very important for human spirit, especially those that have lived Zogo life.

Through such interactions these less-fortunate folks once more learned to trust and appreciate others in society, especially, JOJO and her team. That created a special bond between JOJO and the former Zogos, something that’s very key in building any relationship. 

Because of their high-trust in JOJO’s group, the Zogo folks started to reject “copycats” who later rushed to their ghetto hideouts, tried to interview and film their condition, under pretense of raising “funding” to benefit them. 

Reuniting Zogos with their parents

JOJO did one particular act that had people living in “social media land” fighting back tears; that is, re-uniting her clients with their own families, including their biological fathers and mothers. The meetings were very crucial and apparently pre-arranged with the consent of both parties. It seems to be the first time in years that some had met their parents since they broke away and joined street life. 

Reuniting these “ex-Zogo” folks with relatives seems to be another smart move by JOJO for after all,  this aspect of the entire rehab process was just as essential to the overall healing process as the detox exercise and the WORD of God being shared with them. 

For most had lost true human touch and family-love, largely due to their own negligence, living a dangerous and lonely life in the streets of Liberia. The reunion added to their own wholeness, similar to what a Born Again Christian would feel when falling back into the arms of the LORD.

The idea of keeping families together is very important from a biblical and theological viewpoint and is continuously indicated in the first Book of the Bible, Genesis. Read for example, Genesis 1:28; 2:24; 6:18 & 12:4-5. 

Wherever Josephine got such a brilliant strategy, isn’t quite clear, but it had to have come from God. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and  lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” 

The move by JOJO and her organization, yea supporters, is a clear example of how great things can be accomplished when people come together and give a small push to someone who’s trusted within their community as is the case with JOJO.  

In other societies of the world, especially in America or Europe, this worthy undertaking would be something most philanthropies and private companies as well as wealthy individuals would rush to support in the interest of humanity, now that someone has shown the way. 

It’s hoped that kindhearted Liberians as well as Friends of Liberia will see reason to support this worthy cause. Thanks to JOJO Hope House of Substance Freedom for rescuing fellow Liberians from the bondage of drug addiction! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPGS CREDITED TO COFFEE WITH JOJO & LORMA-GIE-TIA Social Media pages. CEO JOJO poses with some of her group’s beneficiaries in above banner picture.

James Kokulo Fasuekoi is an award-winning journalist, author, documentary writer & news photographer. He previously covered civil wars and political upheavals in West Africa for The Associated Press. He became a Bush Foundation Scholar twice in 2017. Read Fasuekoi’s profile at https://globalekklesia.com/profile/.