By Thabo Motlhabi
Addiction is not you, but it feels like you have spent so much intimate time together. Addicts do not talk of themselves as being cured, they are always ‘in recovery’.
West View Clinic Rehabilitation Centre based in Kagiso, recently organized a recovery and sobriety 3km fun walk in partnership with different stakeholders namely; Kagiso Stride Athletics, Colossou Aerobics Athletics, Muyo Youth Centre, Mogale City Social Workers, Department of Health and Kagiso Police station. The event was hosted at Ext 12 Open Space Community Hall on 22 Friday March 2024.
In the early hours of the morning, Kagiso community members from all walks of life gathered together to join in the walk and support the recoverees.
The purpose of the walk was to create an awareness and a safe space to those exposed to substance abuse and drugs related issues, to give them a platform to come out of that dark shadow and seek help.
There are those in the community willing to offer help. Addicts are enrolled into different recovery programs. The purpose being rehabilitation, and aftercare to keep them away from a possible relapse.
The message was simple and clear, it is possible to recover from drugs and live a normal and positive lifestyle again. Most of the drug addicts are from difficult backgrounds; broken families, single parenting, child headed households, peer pressure, school drop-outs, lack of family planning, lack of fatherhood, teenage pregnancy, high unemployment, lack of extra mutual activities, lack of pillow talk between parent and children, lack of township economic programs, violence, establishment of many taverns, and substance abuse.
All these social ills influence the Youth to use drugs. Clearly, the environment is not safe for the community at large. Another factor is the lack of mentorship programs to assist young people to cope with the stress of life and the challenges they face at home.
Westview Clinic rehabilitation Centre strives to combat alcohol and drug related issues by implementing sustainable community outreach programs. This walk was staged to encourage access to therapy for the addicted to show them a brighter side of being free from drugs.
As a Social Worker at Westview Clinic Boitumelo Pholo said, “I’m very pleased to see many of our community members came in numbers to support our young people as we have a long journey to help those trapped by drug related issues and offer them training through our programs and how to create an alternative life. I would like to thank our stakeholders, without them, we wouldn’t have made it alone as Westview clinic”
As a Spokesperson for Kagiso Police Station Captain Mr. Solomon Sibiya said, “The objective of the walk was mainly to encourage anyone who was suffering from addiction to go to the clinic and seek help. Free services are there. As Police we would continue to work with different stakeholders and the community members to combat and eradicate drug peddling and drug use by arresting drug lords.
At the end of the program, people were served with drinks and food.
