Drug rehabilitation experts, Ms Laetitia Goosen and Ms Adél Grobbelaar, took to the streets of Hillbrow to spread the message that the war against substance abuse can be won.
They are part of the Wedge Gardens Treatment Centre, run by the Rand Aid Association.
The pair joined a team from the Outreach Foundation, a faith-based organisation that offers support and development to people living in the inner city of Johannesburg, on November 13.
On the day, they helped to serve warm meals and talk to the city’s street dwellers.
“We tried to bring them a message of hope for the future,” said Ms Grobbelaar, who heads up Wedge Gardens.
“The Outreach Foundation regularly visits drug hot spots in the Johannesburg CBD, with a special focus on Hillbrow, which has a concentration of social issues including HIV/Aids, women abuse, refugee influx, urbanisation and degradation of urban environments, drug dealing, prostitution and crime,” she said.
Ms Grobbelaar said being involved in the initiative was an eye-opener.
“Being out on the darkest of Johannesburg’s streets was a reality check. We saw first-hand the cruel face of addiction today. The one certainty in addiction is if you do not stop, a similar future would be your destiny. People sleep, eat and do everything in the street because there is just no other place for them to go. Looking at this makes you realise that Johannesburg has lost the war on drugs.” said Ms Goosen. She added that the number of children on the streets is alarming.
“It seems as if parents lose hope because these youngsters turn to crime to support their drug habits. In the end, parents can no longer control them and do not allow them home,” she said.
Their work also involve uniting street children with their families.
“Once they are clean, they cannot return to the streets and their family has to be prepared to welcome them home,” said Ms Goosen.
For more information, contact the Wedge Gardens Treatment Centre on 011 430-0320.
Ms Grobbelaar holds an Honours degree in social work and psychology and Ms Goosen holds an Honours degree in social work. Both have been involved in the field of drug and substance rehabilitation for many years.
