The aftermath of Liberia’s two civil wars has been the rise of a generation of young men riddled with trauma. Many of them have turned to violent street crimes, perpetuating a cycle of violence that gripes the country. But the tide is turning. Nepi, a mental health non-profit founded in 2009 and promoted by former child soldier Anthony Kamara, offers cognitive behavioural therapy and cash transfers to young men at everyday risk of violent behaviour. It’s rehabilitation programme Sustainable Transformation of Youth in Liberia (Styl) has helped to change tens of thousands of lives.
Founder, Johnson Bohr, knows exactly how powerful mental health programmes can be, having himself been a teenage soldier in the civil wars. Suffering from the tightly knotted anger that consumes many child soldiers, Bohr found peace through a trauma healing programme run by the Lutheran church. He incorporated this learnings into Styl, adding secular and psychosocial components. The course combines psychotherapy with real-world activities such as personal and budget management, civic engagement and presentations aimed at building interpersonal relationships.
Cole B. Coleman is just one local who has dramatically turned his life around thanks to this unique programme. A former child soldier and violent criminal, Coleman was recruited as a soldier aged 10 and grappled with trauma after losing his family in the wars. Through the Styl programme, he learned to control his rage by recognising that his emotions had been triggered by anger, and using tools offered by CBT. Coleman used seed money from the programme to set up his own grocery business, which he still runs today.
Liberia is home to one of the world’s most traumatised populations, with 68% of people surviving on less than $1.90 USD per day. This reality has fuelled a rise in violent crimes and drug use, as without opportunity or hope, many young people turn to gang life. But with programmes like Styl in action, hope is on the horizon, bridging the gaps in mental health treatment and social support that the state continues to struggle with.
By offering practical mental health support and the tools to help young Liberian men escape poverty, violent crime and a life of trauma, Styl is pioneering a new approach that both fights for mental health and helps rebuild the country from the ground up.
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