Homabay County Woman Representative Joyce Atieno Bensouda has hailed the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada), saying it was doing a good job and asking the government to ensure that it should be well funded.
The MP said there cannot be a nation without healthy youth.
“So I am calling upon the government; the work Nacada is doing is noble, and for us to have a healthy nation, Nacada must be empowered and well financed,” the MP said.
The woman rep said increased funding will help even in the putting up of rehabilitation centres to manage drug addicts in the counties.
The Woman representative was speaking on Tuesday at Rawinji chief’s camp in Rachuonyo south subcounty when she launched her 1st edition of youth campaign awareness on drug abuse with the theme ‘Towards a drug abuse-free society’ in Homabay County.
She said, in partnership with Nacada, Ajira, and Rangwe Technical Training Institute, the principal aims to train a million youth in Homabay County to challenge the knowledge and awareness on the effects, challenges, and importance of staying away from drug abuse.
The second and third editions of the programme will take place in Kabunde in Homabay Sub County and Kasgunga in Suba North Sub County, respectively.
“We have organised this function to create awareness to show the symptoms, to curb the characteristics, to know and share the experiences, and to place our way forward together collectively on how we can mitigate drug abuse,” the Homabay woman rep said.
She said as leaders they have realised that when they are talking about economic growth they need a health nation, adding, “A health nation is a wealth nation, but we cannot be wealth when we are not healthy.”
She said they are speaking as one voice today, sober and proud, and they are saying no to drug abuse because they know it will ruin society.
“Let’s embark on agriculture, let’s embark on trade, let’s embark on fishing, let’s embark on the environment, and refrain from drug abuse; that is the major thing we are doing here,” she told the youths who had come for the training.
Simon Mwangi, Deputy Director Corporate Communication, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada), said the 1st phase of the sensitisation forum is for approximately 1000 youth drowning from Rachuonyo south, Rachuonyo east, and Rachuonyo north subcounties.
The officer said the national survey shows youth aged 25-35 are the most affected by matters of alcohol and drug abuse in the country.
He said the main goal of the sensitisation training is to empower the youth with knowledge to be champions against drug and substance abuse so that this issue does not escalate further from where it has reached.
“The government has ranked drug abuse as one of the key issues that are an impediment to national security. That means we have to put together efforts to deal with this challenge from a multifaceted approach,” he said, adding that the forum was basically just to exchange ideas and empower the youth with relevant information.
He said the key aspects of the training will be how to prevent getting into drug addiction, how to deal with a family member or close relative who has gotten into addiction, and teaching the youth on how to seek assistance, especially those already affected, saying drug abuse contributes significantly to mental health issues and addiction disorders play a big role in curtailing the wellbeing of society.
“As part of the training, we are also going to be conducting roadshows just to be able to reach out to critical masses so that the information is out there,” the officer said.
He said they are also using this opportunity to engage the public and let them know that Nacada has an office in this county and that they are going to the grassroots to be able to deal with the problem of drug and substance abuse from the roots, saying as an authority they also have a tall free helpline, 1192, available 24/7.
Chief Jacob Opecho, West Kamagak location where the event was taking place, said he was happy about the Nacada programmes.
“The youths are the pillar of any society, and they need to be protected,” the chief said.
By Moseti Julius
