The Sunday News
Nokuzola Mbele, Catherine Phiri and Langelihle Ndlovu
THE future is no longer defined by our determination but by our actions. Countless campaigns have been done, many undergo counselling but drug abuse cases keep rising. The real question is what now?
Truth be told, we all are running away from reality but that’s something we can never run away from. The funny part being that drugs are now our relief from that pain.
We think that therapy or opening up to a person is a white man’s thing, but we also need that. Since the lockdown drug cases have been rising instead of minimising. We are so concerned with our lives progressing just fine but what about the person next door.
Catherine Phiri
Behind those closed doors are depressed souls seeking for help, there are broken souls not knowing what next. Here are tips on helping drug addicts:
1. Emotional support
Most people die in silence not having anyone to talk to or not knowing what to do. As human beings we need to support each other not only financially but also emotionally.
Many people do not know how to cope after losing a loved one. Some remain shuttered and it haunts them to a point of them abusing drugs or committing suicide. As people who are around those individuals we tend to ignore every sign when we can do something. Not every drug addict engages in drugs willingly but the rhetorical question is “what are the causes?”
2. As youths we need something to do.
What happens today is spending the whole day watching TV and playing video games, then what? Imagine spending the whole day/month/year doing absolutely nothing productive then get bored, when going for a walk all you see are your peers smoking nyaope what good comes from that? 90 percent of people aged 16-25 roam around the streets doing nothing and chances of them indulging in drugs are quite high.
Recreational centres need to be reopened, entrepreneurship skills need to be introduced in societies. Doing something useful with your life is the best.
Some of the youths get drugs from parents or older people. Being a drug dealer or drug lord has become someone’s profession that’s why cases are rising. The most important thing has become putting food on the table not realising what is at stake which is someone’s life or health.
Langelihle Ndlovu
What has happened to our generation? You find a 10 or 13-year-old going around carrying drugs instead of going to school. Life in the movies has become our reality but we are not getting paid after the whole sketch. Let’s not normalise what is abnormal.
Our hope as honourable councillors is to combat issues of depression and mental health within the confines of Bulawayo 2022.
This links with issues of drug abuse. We hope by the end of my term there’ll be a change and our streets of Bulawayo become drug free.
Let’s take responsibility for our actions and live for the future, not today.
Nokuzola Mbele, Catherine Phiri and Langelihle Ndlovu are members of the Bulawayo Junior City Council.
