This project proposal outlines a community-based solution specifically tailored to provide comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services to adolescent girls and young women (ages 12 to 24) who use drugs.

Our model fills a significant gap in care in the region and provides a safe environment for physical detoxification, psychological healing, and social
reintegration.

We use the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), an intervention approach that provides counseling, medical referral, social support, and livelihood
opportunities to facilitate recovery and reintegration into the community.

The existing psychosocial services in Makeni are not specifically tailored to the particular psychosocial challenges faced by female drug users.
The school dropout crisis in Bombali, with 14% of female substance users invisible, high levels of "hidden" addiction, a higher risk of gender-based violence, a lack of economic opportunities, and "career paths" interrupted by dropping out of school.

Why now?

To break the silence, to address the intersection of economic hardship (70% of the population lives in poverty), cultural prejudices, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and extreme poverty as the main causes of school dropouts by focusing on the "secondary school crisis."

If action is not taken now, Bombali faces a "lost generation," where the expected lifetime productivity of a child is currently estimated at only 36% of its potential due to educational gaps.

We are seeking support and partners for a transformative change tailored to the needs of young girls struggling with addiction. We invite all stakeholders to join us in taking action to empower these young girls on their path to recovery.