“Zogo” is a demeaning Liberian parlance, especially for a person living a lifestyle being manipulated by his or her consumption of narcotic substances (drugs).
Young people with such behavior are being welcomed into the Christian High School, located at 16th Street, Russell Avenue, Sinkor, Monrovia.
The School is the Education Arm of the Mother-body of the Church of the Believers, Inc., founded by Rev. Roosevelt Zarwulogbo Liberty, Sr. who spent more than 15 years in the United States of America, where he established a Christian humanitarian organization named Africa International Christian Mission (AICM) focusing much on all categories of disadvantaged persons, including citizens of the host-Country (America)
The 2018 and 2019 Academic Years of the Christian High School were predominantly characterized by astonishing or horrifying actions by many of the male students and few of the female students on drugs.
Some of the horrifying actions were the presence of narcotic substances (drugs) in some students’ Book bags with them on campus; smacking (banging) of the School’s gate (when it was closed after Assembly and Inspection) by students ‘high’ from drugs consumption; use of the “f” word (“f…you”) by some angry students against the School’s security man or class teacher who had seized their school bag containing drugs or weapon (scissors, knife, razor blade, etc.) during security inspection or in the classroom; and students’ brandishing of a weapon (razor blades, scissors, etc.) to the face of the School’s male security man, Hilary Johnson, nick named “Power Ranger” by students, because of his military-like uncompromising attitude against breach of the School’s rules by students.
“I don’t call them zogos like majority of other Liberians describe them. I call them disadvantaged, self-reared, economically disadvantaged young men and women, who should be given the opportunity of acquiring quality education as it is done to fortunate young people being taken care by their parents or guardians,” Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Zarwulogbo Liberty, Sr., Proprietor of Christian High School, narrated.
“The School was established in 2000, and grade levels range from Early Childhood, popularly called A.B.C.,” the School’s Proprietor explained further.
Speaking further the Schoo’s Proprietor declared, “I consider my mission on these disadvantaged and self-reared students as a Heavenly Mandate to attitudinally refined citizens, so that they can contribute to development of their Country as some of their compatriots being taken care by elderly people or the Liberian State.”
However, the Liberian Cleric’s road to mental reformation of Liberia’s ‘social outcasts’ had been emotionally bumpy; many times he experienced migraine (severe headache) from execution of this “Heavenly Mandate” as he had called it.
Reverend Liberty, Sr. explained about the factors of the ‘new life’ of the students to me during an interview in weeks to the 21st Graduation.
The major cause of the once-trouble-making students’ attitudinal change is the School’s policy of Christian Worship Session during each Assembly or Inspection segment for every teaching day. The School’s Chapel Service is another reformation platform for students on drugs.
The Chapel Service is a full Christian Service of Praise and Worship and Preaching on the last teaching day, Friday. Many of the troublemaking students are in the School’s Choir and involved in the Chapel Service’s Praise-and-Worship and these are some reformation methods.
One of the jubilant female parents was dressed like a masquerade explained, “My name is Deborah Clark. I’m over joy today, because my ninth child, James Kollie, the youngest of my nine children, is graduating from High School today! I single-handedly sponsor his education, from Nursery to 12th grade, after his father had left me. I sold bitterballs, chewing gums, spaghetti, sugar cane, and many other small, small foods and non-food items to sponsor his education!”
“In spite of the difficulty we faced in High School, we never gave up…never work to please other people, but yourself,” a portion of the valedictory address delivered by student Reagan N. Toe, expressed.
The keynote speaker, Lincoln Cummings, spoke on the Topic, “How to Be Relevant in Society” and began his speech with quoting English Playwright, William Shakespeare, on “life” in general and stated, “Life is nothing but a shadow!”
The official of Rev. Dr. Liberty’s Liberty Theological Seminary then urged the students to always do three things: Define one’s purpose; constantly upgrade one’s mind of professional knowledge; and seek knowledge of technological advancement.
