Thabiso Youth Centre takes up Makokoba’s anti-drug fight Drugs

drugsLungelo Ndhlovu
Idleness is forcing youths in Bulawayo’s oldest suburb of Makokoba to turn to alcohol and substance abuse.
A cough mixture, Broncleer or Ngoma, in street lingo, is no longer used to soothe sore throats but to get youth high on the cheap.So prevalent is alcohol and substance abuse in the suburb that Thabiso Youth Centre has started a programme to keep youths occupied so that they don’t think of doing drugs.

The youth centre partnered with the Makokoba Health-Care Initiative and Active Youth of Zimbabwe, an organisation that supports an active, educated, morally upright and drug-free Zimbabwean youth, to come up with ways to deal with the emerging drug problem in the suburb.

Promise Nqwababa, chairperson of Thabiso Youth Centre Parents’ Association, admitted there was a scourge of drug and substance abuse in Makokoba. “There is crime here in Makokoba but we have got some facilities which are meant to combat crime. First we have got this recreational centre here and it is the main area that hooks our youths from the streets and keeps them occupied.

“There is an English saying which says an ‘idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. We don’t want our kids to be scoundrels. Youths come to the centre and we teach them life skills, sports and education. All those that spend time here don’t do crime.

“The problem is with those that don’t come here, they are already addicts and it is hard to convince them to come here. We also try to send the ones we educate here to go and preach to others about the importance of coming to the centre,” said Nqwababa.

The general feeling is that there is lack of coordination which has resulted in rampant drug abuse as the drugs were readily available on the market.

Sadly, this includes drugs which youths buy over the counter and later abuse.

“The problem with ngoma is that we don’t know where these kids buy it from. You will only see many containers of used stuff just lying around on the avenues or the streets of Makokoba and you tend to wonder, where this kids get it from. It’s a problem everywhere here in Makokoba,” he said.
Broncleer syrup is popular with youths of both sexes between the ages of 15 to 35.

According to medical experts Broncleer is a cough syrup meant for alleviating colds and coughs as per the instructions contained on the leaflet, but some people were finding pleasure in downing 50ml to 100ml instead of the prescribed 10ml at a time for adults.

Active Youth Zimbabwe director Romeo Matshazi said drugs, both mainstream and illegal, were being smuggled into the country because there was high demand.

“So many drugs are sold here locally and are being abused,” said Matshazi.

Government policy is that all drugs should be registered but the country is faced with a problem of unknown drugs and alcohol substances being sold on street corners because there has not been a coordinated effort by regulatory authorities.

“Police should come up with techniques on how to detect drugs because our children are in danger. They are being exposed to different kinds of drugs and alcohol. So many bars in town sell alcohol to our underage kids and you will find them loitering, drunk in the streets especially on Saturdays,” said one mother.

School children now hide packs or bottles of drugs in their school bags when they go to school or extracurricular events like sports.

“I know of school boys who were suspended recently on closing day in Pumula because of alcohol abuse,” said Khulani Moyo.

Some of these substances that are found in the streets and abused by children include Tentacao imported from Zambia and Zed.

These substances are illegal in Zimbabwe but somehow find their way into the country though porous borders.

Ngoma goes for between $3 and $4 per 100ml bottle and in Makokoba there are known barons who peddle this dangerous substance in the streets.

The adverse effects of drugs are noticeable in touts whose behaviour and appearance has been of dirt, coupled with violence and vulgar language after taking the substances.

Matshazi said his organisation’s findings were that parent and guardian involvement was critical in stopping drug abuse.

He said the critical role of ensuring a drug free community should start within the family.

“Parents have a role to play in ensuring that children have a drug-free life. When our children start consuming drugs and we ignore them, they will come back to haunt us again by stealing, beatings us, or abusing others. There are several community involvement groups, which we and our children could be members of and try to improve their lives,” he said.

Some children have engaged in drugs because of lack of supervision as parents leave them in the custody of guardians or alone as they go to seek greener pastures outside the country.

Matshazi said parents should be wary of things like violence, unusual quietness and breaking of property. These are possible signs that a child would have started taking drugs.

“It is very important that we take an active role in tackling this challenge of drug abuse. It is unfortunate that those who sell drugs do it for money, they want to earn a living forgetting that they are putting somebody’s life in danger.

“We should be able to challenge drug abuse because it is happening in our own homes, neighbourhood and as parents we should be in constant check of our children, monitoring their behaviour,” he said.

Matshazi said many youths experiment with drugs for a number of reasons including curiosity and peer pressure.

So far there are about 70 active members from Makokoba registered with Thabiso for various sporting and recreational purposes that aims at taking away the youths from the streets and keeping them busy.

Thabiso Hall’s recreation leader Thabiso Masuku, employed by Bulawayo City Council (BCC), said they had challenges in the running of the centre but now they were working with various partners to help Makokoba youths come off the streets.

“Thabiso Youth Centre like any other centre in Bulawayo is run by BCC. Originally the establishment of this centre was meant to keep young people occupied, so that they don’t do crime.

“We accommodate youths from Makokoba, teaching them life skills and sports. We do weight lifting here, football, netball and other life supporting skills like agriculture and those who come here don’t get the chance to go back to the streets and do ngoma because we inform them of dangers of drugs,” said Masuku.

The co-founder and administrator of MHCI, Siphiwe Mhlanga, said Makokoba youths should join the facility and gain life skills.

“We are also going to partner with Thabiso youth club because our main objective is to revive youth centres which have been lying idle for a long time so that they can benefit youths and mould their character and teach them life enhancing skills like sack potato growing and agriculture. So far we had targeted about 150 people and many came and they were taught business skills too,” she said.

 

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