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Ninety-four young people have graduated from the Sierra Leone Police Training School Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Hastings, Western Rural District, following a rehabilitation programme aimed at helping people overcome substance abuse and reintegrate into their communities.
The Ministry of Social Welfare described the graduates as “Ambassadors of Positive Change”, urging them to use their experiences to promote healthier choices and discourage drug abuse among young people in their communities.
The graduates were among 105 young people admitted to the rehabilitation centre on July 6, 2026, after suffering from drug addiction, particularly addiction to the synthetic drug Kush. The Ministry said the latest graduation marks the eighth batch of people rehabilitated at the centre as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address substance abuse in the country.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Social Welfare Minister Melrose Karminty stressed the importance of young people to Sierra Leone’s national development. She commended President Julius Maada Bio for his support for the rehabilitation programme and called for continued investment in initiatives that help young people recover from substance abuse.
Minister Karminty also appealed to communities to support and accept people recovering from addiction, stressing that reintegration is an important part of the rehabilitation process.
The graduation ceremony brought together a number of national and international stakeholders, including the Saudi Ambassador to Sierra Leone, senior police officers, representatives of ECOWAS and United Nations Resident Coordinator Seraphina Wakana.
