Programme aims to assist victims affected drugs in Protea
"I firmly believe that the power of giving back can benefit others just as much as it can benefit ourselves."
Team Coordinator at Nurses with Purpose, Ofentse Mhlanga held a feeding scheme outreach campaign for individuals affected by drugs on Sunday, June 23, at Protea Glen Extension 13.
Mhlanga said her annual outreach initiative serves as a reminder to drug victims that they are not alone and that there are still people out there who want to show them love and support.
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“It is my belief that nobody wakes up and decides to start using drugs. I think there’s always a spark in every situation that makes someone isolate themselves with drugs.
“Because we don’t show them that we want to help, many of them tend to lose hope and they now feel unloved, uncared for and unwanted.
“To make matters worse, we as a community are powerless to effect change, instead we condemn them and call them Nyaopes,’’ said Mhlanga.
She further stated that her sincere hopes are for the streets to be drug-free. She wants to see people being free from drugs and she also wants to help them realise that they are better people and that they can achieve anything in life if they don’t let drugs rule their lives.
“Let us work together to improve Soweto in honour of our forefathers who bravely fought for us during the 1976 uprising.
We should make responsible use of our freedom, prioritise education over drugs, and learn to lend a helping hand to others without anticipating anything in return.
“This is because I firmly believe that the power of giving back can benefit others just as much as it can benefit ourselves,’’ she said.
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Speaking to Urban News, the mother of Musa Khumalo, a drug user in recovery who has been assisted by Mhlanga, Victoria Khumalo said, “The fact that there are still people who comprehend what Ubuntu implies is heartening because it’s quite difficult to cope with an addict alone.
“When someone is willing to help us, it touches us because as parents, we take the time to comprehend this problem. Knowing that someone other than you is willing to play a role in treating your child means a lot.”
