Walking alongside those affected by drugs
Stephen Tully, chairperson of the Napier Centre for Healing has embarked on a 1000km run to raise money for the organisation and spread awareness about drug addiction.
THE Napier Centre for Healing, which provides a safe halfway house for former drug addicts during their journey back into society, has managed to keep afloat through the pandemic and, despite some severe challenges, has kept its residents safe and drug-free, with many of them returning to their families and back into the community.
However, not all recovering addicts are able to escape the grips of addiction and the lifestyle that accompanies the disease.
Skumbuzo Jila was a young man who stayed at the Denis Hurley Centre during the hard lockdown and from there he moved to the Napier Centre and completed their programme and stayed clean and sober for over a year.
According to Raymond Perrier, director of the Denis Hurley Centre the two organisations recently received some very disturbing news about the recovering addict, “Sadly, we heard that he was chased by security guards at a mall recently and stabbed to death. After he worked so hard to turn his life around, it is a tragedy that it was cut short unnecessarily,” said Perrier.
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In memory of addicts who lost their lives in the throes of addiction and as a way of raising money for the Napier Centre, the organisation chairperson, Stephen Tully has started a 1,000 km sponsored walk.
Tully is walking with Dwain Swiegers, the founder of Gyms4Africa, who is raising money to provide underprivileged people in Africa with access to gyms to combat disease, nurture talent, and provide opportunities.
Their month-long Unity Walk began on April 23 in Lesotho and will eventually span 1000 km (620 miles) across four countries, through mountains, forests, beaches, dirt roads, and water crossings – all in the name of helping others!
ALSO READ:Â Support the Denis Hurley Centre
Raymond said the Denis Hurley Centre works closely with the Napier Centre so that some of the young male drug users they meet have a chance of transforming their lives with the months of care and rehabilitation that the Napier Centre for Healing can provide.
“We encourage our supporters to sponsor Father Stephen and also to follow the progress of the Unity Walk via Facebook and Instagram,” said Perrier.
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