Thembisa student uses education to fight drug pandemic
The abuse of substances by the youth which includes primary and secondary school learners has been a cause for concern in South Africa.
Sithembiso Maeko, a 19-year-old student from Thembisa, was raised by a single mother after his father abandoned him as a young child.
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He stated as a child, he had a deep love of reading business books, playing sports and having a knack for mathematics.
“As an over-achiever, academic under performance was a huge source of my stress and anxiety. I started seeking ways to escape the pressure and fixation.
Together with four of my peers, we began using drugs as they were fairly affordable and easily accessible.
“Shortly thereafter, we were all addicted and two dropped out of school. We were ravaged by drugs and one lost his life to substance abuse,” he added.
“It was in Grade Nine that I was introduced to Ke Moja and found help.
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“They came to our school and implemented a compulsory curriculum for all Grade 9 learners with extra classes after school, where my attendance was voluntary,” said Maeko.
Since the intervention from Ke Moja, Maeko has now been clean for four years and is in his second year of study at the University of Johannesburg, pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management with a prospective career as a prominent financial advisor.
“My words of encouragement to teenagers struggling with addiction are every day is a struggle and stress is part of our everyday life.
“It is important to find healthier ways of coping with stress, focus on self-development and actively participate in positive social activities like sports,” he said.
In South Africa, drug misuse among young people, including elementary and secondary school learners, has long been a source of widespread concern.
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It affects learners from the age of 12 and cuts across geographic, socioeconomic status and racial lines.
Substance abuse is increasingly becoming the primary cause of school crime and violence, teenage pregnancy, risky behaviours, incidental injuries and HIV/Aids.
It also threatens the freedom, security and right to life of citizens. According to the National Drug Master Plan, substance abuse is largely attributed to poverty, crime, unemployment and dysfunctional family life.
The Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act (Act 70 of 2008) provides for the establishment of programs for the prevention and treatment of drug dependency.
The Department of Social Development as a conduit to fight drug addiction launched the Ke Moja, I’m fine without drugs, a program in 2003 to counteract this topical scourge through preventative measures, largely targeting primary and secondary learners nationwide.
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Among several influencing factors, studies indicated academic pressure as a major contributor to teenage substance misuse.
With the transition to young adulthood being a critical phase, drugs have a strong appeal as learners’ independence in their search for identity.
However, teenagers with lower grades are more likely to experiment and continuously abuse alcohol and other illicit drugs.
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