By Alimamy Conteh
Love Aid in partnership with Codohsapa on Wednesday 18th October 2023, started a three-day campaign against abuse of drugs in Kissy Community.
The campaign commences with a community sensitisation and training for youths and community stakeholders on the dangers of harmful drugs.
According to Gibril Koroma, Project Manager for the campaign against drugs and Team Manager for Love Aid, the campaigns aims to train youths and community stakeholders as community champions who will go out and share what they have learnt with others to influence positive change. He added that communities such as Cassel Farm, Alpha Morlai and others are hotspots for drug abuse and misuse.
“ As a Non-Governmental Organization, we deem it fit to engage stakeholders and victims of kush in these communities because they are the ones that are capable of changing the mindsets of other youths. Who feels it, knows it,” he said.
He stated that kush is on the rise in the Kissy Community, adding that, it has claimed the lives of vibrant youths in the community. He stated that some have gone mad, some with swollen feet.
Delivering his keynote address and orientation, Pharmacist John Lamin Smith, Head Pharmacist at the Ola During Hospital, said we are only going to solve the drug problem in Sierra Leone by changing our mindset.
“ I believe kush is a choice; we choose to buy them from the sellers, we choose to lock ourselves in the room and smoke it. This community sensitisation is key in changing our mindset,” he added.
He called for a collective collaboration to end drug abuse and misuse at communities in Kissy.
“ The government, stakeholders, you and I. We should stop those that are selling it and those that are importing it. If we mean it, let’s tap into the sources and stop it. If no one is selling kush, nobody will be there to buy it,” he said.
He maintained his stance that everyone should serve as agents in their community, not the government.
“We are the ones that are experiencing the implications of kush first-hand. we’ve seen the social impact of kush from the community level to the country as a whole. Instead of taking videos and pictures of them, posting them on various social media, let’s start counselling them, they must have their reasons for taking drugs,” he said, stating that lots of dangers and implications are associated with the taking of drugs; hallucinations, euphoria, addiction, begging, stealing and lack of desire for women.
“My concern here is the method of mixing used by those selling the drug. We have seen from footage on social media where individuals combine substances that are harmful to the human body with cannabis indica, chlorophyll, and human bones This results in hallucinations, a state of euphoria and swollen feet. At the end of the day, we are left with youths that are unable to take care of themselves, they resort to begging and stealing thus becoming a burden to the government and nuisance in their various communities”, said Pham. Smith.
According to Moses Kargbo, a Stakeholder at Cassel Farm community the ones that are selling drugs are living a good life at the expense of those addicted to it. “they are building houses, buying luxurious cars and living good lives at your detriment”, he said. He admonished youths and community stakeholders to serve as agents against kush in the community and they will see the transformation in youths.
“I have learnt a lot about the negative impacts of kush. I was married, a final year student at UNIMTECH, because of my addiction to kush, my wife and son left me, smoked all my fees, and lost all my friends,” said Foday Kamara, a victim of Kush. He promised to join the campaign and sensitize others on the implications and aftermath of kush.
Kadijatu Bangura, a victim of Kush said since she stopped taking the drug, there has been a positive transformation in her life. “ I now save money and spend time with my daughter,” she said.
