Give more support to Liberty Lodge

20.JUL.07

Editor: There has been much negative publicity about the Liberty Lodge Boys training centre and the image that society paints of it is also negative. I have been granted the honour to share God’s Word with the boys every Monday evening at 4:00 p.m. for this I am very much thankful to Mr. Akers and the staff of the institution.{{more}}

I have found that the boys are not what people perceive them to be, that is ‘bad boys’. They are boys with good potential who were brought up in an unhealthy environment. They were not given the proper training at home, which includes love and discipline. For most of them they were not shown a true father’s love and were not shown the appreciation they deserve. They grew up with negatives and so they acted negatively.

The staff has its limitation in terms of how it operates, since it is under the direct control of the Ministry of Social Development. Despite the limitations, they have made serious impact positively on the boys. If one should visit the institution and talk with the boys and the staff, it would be discovered that many of the negative things said about the institution are not true.

The boys are treated with love and respect. They are not abused. The fear of them practicing homosexuality can be erased from one’s mind. The staff is mainly made up of Christians who uphold Christian values and principles.

Support of whatever form should be given to the staff. They are doing a very good job and the institution is indeed a healthy environment for growth and development of young minds.

I am left to wonder why more support is not given from private citizens and companies. Is it because the ministry responsible has to be the one to receive the donations given and have to approve it? If this is the case, then some people who wish to give directly to the centre and not through a ministry and who wish to do it independently without political interference will withhold their support and in the end the centre will suffer.

As citizens let us erase the negative image of the institution and let us play our part in ensuring that the institution functions effectively.

Thank you,
Kennard King