Substance abuse, drug abuse-whichever euphemism you apply, the problem remains the same and its destructive aftermath leaves many broken families, lives and communities.
It remains a global problem and has many governments and communities scratching their heads about finding a solution as it tears a path of destruction and obliterates the values and morals held dear by so many.
Come Back Mission (CMB) South Africa, which has enjoyed more than 10 year relationship with their German counterparts, played host to visiting social worker student, Jasmin Wache (20), who was in the country since last year November, to give her a first-hand look at ways to combat the rising drug scourge in her home country.
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Also read: ‘Kyk my hier, nie hier nie’
During her nine-week stay on our shores, she visited the treatment facility at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and the Hadassah Centre for Women in De Deur.
Come Back Mission in Germany are launching a treatment centre for youth caught in the grip of addiction to crystal meth in June this year and sent the aspirant social worker who is in her third semester, to witness best practices for treating addicts in South Africa in the hope that she would return home, adopt the programmes in use here, and apply them to the German situation.
During her stay, she worked closely with CMB founder Cheryl Pillay, who said, “Jasmin came to volunteer because addiction in Germany has primarily been to alcohol, crystal meth addiction is a relatively new phenomenon in the country and we hope that they will be able to put some of the best practices as applied here, to the German context.”
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Wache, who is required to complete her practicals in a foreign country, opted to come to South Africa and see first-hand what programmes have been implemented and how these can be adapted to the German environment.
She said, “My stay here has been amazing and I couldn’t believe all I saw and I will never forget the experience.”
According to Pillay, Germany has traditionally experienced alcoholism in males and Wache has worked in a treatment facility which seeks to alleviate this problem, however, their close proximity to the poorer eastern European countries has seen the dreaded drug being shipped in and creating many crystal meth dependant persons.
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This is primarily the reason behind Wache’s visit and CMB hosted a farewell for the social worker student who has made many South African friends, on January 25.
She received a certificate of appreciation from CMB chairperson, Pillay and bade a teary farewell to her new-found comrades in the battle against drug abuse.
Initiatives and alliances like these can only serve to strengthen us as we face the demon of addiction and vanquish it through every life touched and every former addict we are able to steer on the path to a drug-free life.
