Officials during the Campaign Against Drug Abuse at Mugombwa sector in Gisagara district
By Francis Byaruhanga
Every year, Rwanda joins the world to celebrate the International Day Against Drug abuse in June.
This time, the celebration at the national level was held in Mugombwa sector, Gisagara district where thousands of youth from different neighborhoods gathered to follow the speeches from senior government officials.
During the event, testimonies and speeches on the dangers of drug abuse were passed out to the youth who attended the event.
Meanwhile, government officials are pulling-up socks towards the fight against the alarming increase of drug abuse among the Rwandan youth.
Speaking at the gathering to kick-off the campaign against drug abuse month, Jerome Rutaburingoga, the Mayor of Gisagara District allayed the worrying concern that drug abuse pose to the youth of Gisagara district, noting that Gisagara is one of the districts that is largely affected by the drug abuse.
“Gisagara is one of the districts concerned with the alarming abuse of drugs,” he said disclosing that “the majority of the crimes committed in the area are those related to drug abuse.”
He illustrated that 105 out of 142 crimes committed in Gisagara district have connections with drug abuse.
Gisagara district also borders Burundi, the issue which officials describe as problematic as far as prevention of crimes in cross border levels is concerned.
“We want to make sure that offences are eliminated in Gisagara district and make sure that cross border crimes committed here is curtailed,” District Mayor Rutaburingoga said adding that “By doing these, we are reducing a big number of those who go to prison.”
“We promise you that we are going to fight against drug abuse in an extraordinary manner,” he further warned.
A cluster of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, National Youth Council among others are putting their hands in the fight against drug abuse.
Janver Niyomugabo, the former drug addict based in Gisagara district, Mugombwa sector testified and indicated how drugs negatively threatened his personal development and later transformed only after he abandoned it.
He testified that the bad peers influenced and indulged her into drug abuse where he was deceived that soft drinks are not deserving for the real men, evilly advising him that he should take strong liquors to be a man.
With this ill advice from his peers, he started to drink heavily until Niyomugabo became a drug addict, abandoned school and became street destitute as a result. He was later taken to Iwawa rehabilitaiton center but later opened up a retail shop and a restaurant after rehabilitating.
He is now sustaining himself, financially independent and able now to get a monthly income from his retail business.
“I advise fellow youths to refrain from ill behaviors and drug and start working on themselves,” he advises.
On the other hand, the Governor of the South Province, Alice Kayitesi, reminded the youth that they are the future of the country however, that drug abuse is a serious problem threatening their role as manpower.
She revealed the statistics that the youth are the biggest drug abusers in the country indicating that 52.4% of the youth use drug abuse in their lifetime while 7% are alcohol addicts and 4% are cigarette addicts yet 2% are marijuana addicts and 0.3% have diseases related to drug abuse.
“When you become a drug addict, the effects go deep to the profession and to the members of the family at large,” she als said warned.
“We are doing what we can to engage taskforce and school clubs to make sure that the campaign against drugs is taken to school going youth,” she said
“You can do sports instead of drug abuse,” she further advised.
Jean Damascene Iyamuremye, Director of Psychiatric care at Rwanda Biomedical centre indicated 2% of the youth are drug addicts echoing the sentiment of other officials that drug abuse poses a threat to the Rwandan society particularly the youth.
He also disclosed that 4000 youth are taken to Iwawa correctional centers as a result of drug abuse.
According to Iyamuremye, Nyarugenge and Gisagara districts are the districts with higher numbers of youth with mental related illness which have connection to drug abuse followed by Gasabo and Huye.
“In our awareness, we want to make sure that a number of youth abandon alcoholism,” he said.