Youth from Alexandra, a township ravaged by alcohol, crime and drugs, were among 6 000 of their counterparts from other areas who were taught to say no to crime and substance abuse.
The youth were taken into the wing of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in an effort to address the rising incidence of substance abuse and addiction, and the resulting devastation caused to young people’s lives.
The church’s Youth Power Group held a series of events in October to highlight the dangers of addiction and offer practical advice and guidance. More than 6 000 young people, many of them from Alexandra, attended the event held at the Cenacle of the Holy Spirit in Soweto .
Speakers shared moving stories of their own lives and how they had been damaged by substance abuse and addiction. Young people were warned that they are particularly vulnerable as they are the prime targets for drug lords and pushers, and the majority of users are introduced to alcohol or drugs by their friends, not strangers.
Speakers encouraged the young people to make wise choices regarding their choice of friends and to associate themselves with trustworthy peers who are unlikely to lead them astray. A pastor shared how, as a young person, he had been exposed to drinking and drugs but eventually found the courage to stand up to his friends and say ‘no’.
“You are the masters of your future, not your friends. If you take advantage of an opportunity to change, your life can be restored. Your friends will laugh at you and call you names. They will try to influence you negatively, but it is all about you and the choices you make for yourself.
“Three of my friends died in horrible circumstances and one is in prison. Although they ridiculed my choice to stop using addictive substances and my decision to change my life, I am alive and free. They are not.”
Initially the fix may be affordable or is given free to ensnare the person, but users soon need more and more and the drug becomes unaffordable. So desperate is the addict, that they are often forced to resort to crime or promiscuous behaviour to pay for their habit.
Tragically, many crimes are committed while the perpetrator is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This impacts on their lives and has negative consequences on society as a whole. The net of victims grows beyond what the initial ‘experiment to feel good for a short while’ could have foreseen.
