Vassaa

31/12/2025

This year marked a defining chapter in our journey as an organization, one grounded in service, strengthening partnerships and driven by our commitment to Substance Use Disorder(SUD) Prevention and Resilience in Liberia.

We began the year with our certification program of 124 students who successfully completed our SUD prevention training at the Brain J. Knightley School system over the past six months, equipping them with knowledge, life skills, building resilience, emotional intelligence and resilience to make healthier choices.

As part of our ongoing partnerships with Government Ministries, we presented our strategic plan to Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia Health Unit, reinforcing our role as credible stakeholder in prevention efforts, further aligning our work participated in a week long training.
Submitted our training manual to the Ministry of Education - Liberia Personnel Services and served as Stakeholder during the review and update of the School Health Manual originally developed in 2016.

Promoting a culture of giving, we joined the Liberia Giving month campaign to raise funds an initiative that was designed by SMART Liberia
Got our legal documents to operate in the education sector, became a proud member of the world Federation Against Drugs, aligned with our work and global efforts to prevent drug abuse.

We began with a needs assessment in three public schools (King Gray Public School, June L. Moore Public School and Kedneja Junior High School) which informed our next step for the project. We rebranded CDTP to Building Resilience Against Drug Abuse (BRADA) reflecting a more holistic and preventive approach, we concluded the year by training facilitators who will lead the next cohort of the program schedule for next year.

We are Grateful to our Donor Mrs. N. Wesley-Pyne whose continuous support, commitment and contributions fostered our team to work together.

Thanks to our amazing volunteers who made this year a success, we’re incredibly grateful to have you all on the Team. We look forward to a more productive year, 2026.

While we are proud of the progress made, the need remains urgent. Our work has shown that early intervention, education and resilience-building can change lives, but we cannot do this alone.
We call on donors, partners and supporters to kindly support project (BRADA) your support will enable us to expand to more schools, create healthier environment for children and youth across Liberia.
By investing in this project you are not only supporting a program, you are protecting futures and building a drug free community and country.

28/11/2025

On Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 we hosted activity 3.0: Training of Trainers (TOT) for Facilitators. This is a pivotal activity under the Cognitive Development Training Program Phase II Theme: Building Resilience Against Drug Abuse (BRADA). The Training helped facilitators gain valuable insight on the scope of the program, explore technique in using the Training Manual, and assess skills for facilitating adolescents focused sessions.

Participants during their closing remarks highlighted that the training was insightful and essential in building not only SGA resilience but a holistic campus resilience against drug use and Abuse.

We extend heartfelt appreciation to , for providing funding through the recent Liberia Giving Month campaigns for this activity.We looked forward to continuing partnership as we roll up the project.

27/11/2025

On Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 we hosted activity 3.0: Training of Trainers (TOT) for Facilitators. This is a pivotal activity under the Cognitive Development Training Program Phase II Theme: Building Resilience Against Drug Abuse (BRADA). The Training helped facilitators gain valuable insight on the scope of the program, explore technique in using the Training Manual, and assess skills for facilitating adolescents focused sessions.

Participants during their closing remarks highlighted that the training was insightful and essential in building not only SGA resilience but a holistic campus resilience against drug use and Abuse.

We extend heartfelt appreciation to Fundraizer , SMART Liberia for providing funding through the recent Liberia Giving Month campaigns for this activity.We looked forward to continuing partnership as we roll up the project.

17/11/2025

We are excited to share with you that we are officially a member of one of the World's largest networks of drug prevention practitioners, the . Our membership provides a platform to network, and amplify our work as we continue to champion the prevention of youth and School Going Adolescents (SGAs) through advocacy and education.

17/11/2025

We are excited to share with you that we are officially a member of one of the World's largest networks of drug prevention practitioners, the World Federation Against Drugs, WFAD. Our membership provides a platform to network, and amplify our work as we continue to champion the prevention of youth and School Going Adolescents (SGAs) through advocacy and education.

UNFPA Liberia
Ministry Of Gender, Children And Social Protection-Liberia
Ministry of Education - Liberia
Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency-Ldea
Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia
UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia

30/10/2025

We value this partnership and are grateful to everyone who supported our initiatives. Funds raised from this campaign will facilitate the forthcoming facilitators training, an activity under our campus based SUD resilience training.

16/10/2025

Upon submission of requested documents at the Ministry of Education - Liberia , and rigorous training of facilitators, Vassaa conducts Activity #2 . Campus Based Assessment across three public schools in Paynesville. The assessment included six(6) administrators, six (6 ) teachers and 9 students across the three schools. Findings from the assessment will inform the contextual design and implementation of Project BRADA- Building Resilience Against Drug Abuse, which seeks to strengthen teachers and administrators capacity to protect School Going Adolescents (SGA)s exposures to substance use, at the same time build SGA resilience against drug use.

Vassaa Advocacy Human Development appreciates the kind donation of Anita N. Wesley - Pyne which enabled us to complete this activity.

Please contact us, if you're led to support this initiative.

16/09/2025

Our Founder will honor an invitation from Premiere Television today, as guest to discuss the role of campus based prevention in Liberia's Fight Against Drug Abuse.

Kindly join today's discussion 🙂.

This week’s edition of The Weekly Dose features Mr. Yidamno-Antonio Wesley Jr., one of Liberia’s brightest minds and a distinguished anti-drug campaigner. He champions evidence-based primary prevention as a powerful tool in combating drug use and sexual exploitation an approach particularly vital in Liberia, where 60% of the population is youth and adolescents. In 2020, Yidamno founded the Voice Against Substance, Sexual Abuse and Addictions (VASSAA), an advocacy and human development organization dedicated to prevention through education and awareness. Since then, he and his team have partnered with the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Unit and the Ministry of Education’s School Health Program to build resilience among young people. He also played a key role in advocating for the 2023 amendment to Liberia’s Controlled Drug and Substance Act, which reclassified drug trafficking and sales as first-degree felonies and strengthened protections for drug dependent individuals. A member of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), Yidamno continues to lead efforts in knowledge sharing and evidence based advocacy for a drug free future.

01/09/2025

Today we celebrate 🥂 another milestone marking our partnership and collaboration with the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Education.

Congratulations to the entire team for their tireless contribution towards the safe school environment through the Cognitive Development Training Program, a campus based initiative building substance abuse resilience of School Going Adolescents (SGA) in Montserrado County.

This academic year we are targeting 275 students each at three high-risk Public Schools in Montserrado. This initiative will cost us $10.00usd for a student. Help us invest in Liberia's future with a dollar and above, using the link below 👇🏾

https://shorturl.at/Sp0qt

We extend thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Education - Liberia for the continued technical support, collaboration, and partnership.

21/08/2025

According to the Ministry of Health 2021 report, many adolescents suffering Substance Use Disorders reported being introduced to drugs within the school environment. VASSAA is working to create a safe school environment for school going adolescents in Liberia.

Help us increase our impact with just a dollar:

https://radarforward.com/directory/ventures/vassaaorg

21/08/2025

According to the Ministry of Health 2021 report, many adolescents suffering Substance Use Disorders reported being introduced to drugs within the school environment. VASSAA is working to create a safe school environment for school going adolescents in Liberia.

Help us increase our impact with just a dollar:

https://radarforward.com/directory/ventures/vassaaorg

SMART Liberia

19/08/2025

The bold and resounding voices of Liberians against Drug Abuse should go beyond narcotics seizure and invest in drug-demand reduction program that build individual and community resilience against substance use or abuse. Join the action by donating just a dollar using the link below and help us support school-going adolescents' productivity.

https://shorturl.at/Sp0qt





ISSUP - International Society of Substance Use Professionals
The Carter Center Liberia
Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia