First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday opened a trendsetting Angel of Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Harare, a facility symbolising a shift from awareness to action, walking the talk in the menace against drugs and substance abuse.
Right in the
gritty, pulsating heart of Mbare, a suburb more often associated with headlines
of drug dens and wasted youth some who succumbed to peer pressure something
extraordinary happened.
There is a new
centre for rehabilitation at the Stodart Arena which accommodates up to 200
patients, providing a secure environment with a holistic approach blending
social amenities, basic education, medical treatment, social support through
counselling and rigorous physical activity.
Under the
guidance of trained coaches, patients do workouts and therapeutic interventions
aimed at naturally flushing toxins from their bodies, at the same time tackling
behavioural issues including rebelliousness and disrespect.
Where once
hopelessness lingered and the smell of burnt crystal meth hung in the air, a
fresh scent of recovery, dignity and transformation now floats free of charge,
thanks to a bold and hands-on intervention by the First Lady Dr Mnangagwa.
For
beneficiaries, it started as tears and trembling hands as parents and guardians
from across Zimbabwe went through the registration process, clutching their
children some barely responsive, others visibly agitated victims of a growing
drug crisis that has gripped the nation.
The centre’s
first intake was quickly oversubscribed. Long queues snaked through the
compound, with mothers and fathers sobbing silently as they filled in
registration forms, praying that this would be the place where their sons and
daughters would find healing.
Each victim was
carefully screened before being admitted into the programme. Some came with
visible withdrawal symptoms. Others, shockingly, had the audacity to smuggle
drugs onto the premises a stark reminder of the grip addiction holds.
The contraband
was immediately confiscated and the individuals placed under strict
observation.
With barely 120
hours after being incorporated into the centre, there were already notable
changes yesterday as the patients were paraded before the First Lady, Dr
Mnangagwa and their parents, smartly clad in Angel of Hope blue attire
tracksuits with shaved heads.
Led by their
trainers, they marched past the crowd, much to the ululation of their parents
and guardians whose faces portrayed glimpse of hope.
Dr Mnangagwa,
who addressed the delegates after first touring the newly established Angel of
Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre, said it is intended to rehabilitate children
and young adults who have been caught up in the nefarious web of drug and
substance abuse.
The First Lady
said drug and substance abuse has become a growing threat to public health,
national security, economic growth and social stability regionally and globally
and Zimbabwe is no exception. Herald
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