TAKUNDA (not real name), a young accounting officer with a fast growing plastic making company, received a distress call in the middle of the night from his mother in Murewa.
It was a plea for help.
His younger brother, who was staying with their mother, was shouting on top of his and knocking violently on his mother s door.
Half-dressed, Takunda reached for his car keys, started the engine and “flew” to the village.
“My brother, to say I was driving is an understatement. I was flying the car to get home before my mother was harmed by her own blood,” he recalled.
“As I called and heard the commotion on the phone, I accelerated.
“I was thinking if anything bad happens, how was I going to handle the situation.
“How was I going to relay the message to our relatives-both maternal and paternal.”
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Though the young brother was subdued with the help of villagers, Takunda then realised that his younger brother was now into drugs.
He was no longer going to school.
Having witnessed his brother getting wasted away by drugs, Takunda has vowed to work with organisations that deal in drug and substance abuse, counselling and rehabilitation.
This is the reason why Takunda was among many who thronged Tafara grounds in Mabvuku on June 26 to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Two organisations, the Destiny Mission Organisation (DMO) and InstaCare Medical Centre (InstaCare), joined hands in hosting the event, where 18 youth teams participated as part of the programme.
Running under the theme Sporting Against Substances: Empowering Youth for a Drug-Free Mabvuku-Tafara, the event was well attended, where free medical services were on offer, along with soccer and netball matches.
Speaking to NewsDay Weekender, Tinotenda Ngoya, the programmes officer at Destiny Mission, said the objective of the event was to raise awareness on drug abuse and illicit trafficking to the community
“The primary objective of the tournament was to utilise sport, particularly football and netball, as a powerful vehicle for drug prevention, youth engagement and community safeguarding,” Ngoya said.
“We were commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. We felt it can actively steer the youths away from substance abuse and promote healthier lifestyles.
“Children should know that there is a life or careers that they can pursue that is not taking drugs.”
Added Ngoya: “The drug issue is serious countrywide, but our priority was Mabvuku and the surrounding Tafara area as it constitutes our primary area of operation.
“However, the youths in other urban areas in Harare have been battling issues of drug abuse and we hope one day we will do other areas.”
Ngoya said their approach towards community empowerment is holistic and continuous.
“We believe in a ripple-effect approach to safeguarding.
“Our mission doesn’t stop with the individual child; it extends directly to empowering their families and by extension, uplifting the entire community ecosystem.
“So, beyond sports-led advocacy, we implement sustainable community livelihood projects, including local manufacturing initiatives (such as detergent making) and agricultural projects like mushroom farming to boost household economic resilience with the help of our various partners.”
Ngoya said they are dedicated to creating a transformed society that deeply cares for and values the rights of children.
“Our core mission is to deliver comprehensive care and robust wrap-around support to vulnerable children through five main thematic pillars: Child Protection, Health, Education, Economic Strengthening, and Life Skills Development.
“We don’t just aim to impact the individual child; we utilise an ecological, ripple-effect framework that strengthens their immediate family unit and branches.
“We protect children from abuse and neglect, offering vital psychosocial support and expanding access to quality education and healthcare.
“Simultaneously, we empower caregivers and youth transitioning out of care through vocational training, financial literacy, and community-led savings groups to build lasting household economic resilience.
“By equipping young people with essential life skills such as leadership, goal-setting, and emotional resilience, we foster an environment where children are not only safe and healthy but fully empowered to reach their greatest potential.”
InstaCare head of marketing Nicholate Kambarami concurred with Ngoya that fighting drug abuse needs both hands on the deck.
“Fighting this scourge needs people to work together,” she said.
“Our team was responsible for providing ambulance and emergency medical cover throughout the tournament to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants and spectators.”
Kambarami added: “In addition, we conducted free health screenings for members of the community. The services offered included: Blood pressure check, Blood glucose (sugar) testing
“These free health services were part of our commitment to promoting community health while supporting local sporting events.
“We also used this platform to interact with the youths to get more information of what’s leading them into drugs and the possible solution.”
Parents also gave their side of the story, trials and tribulations they go through when their kids are taking drugs.
Reacting to the notion that private medical providers are more concerned about profits than the welfare of patients, Kambarami said they strictly follow laid-down health standards that patients get the best service.
“No one in the medical field wishes their patients bad. Besides creating jobs, we also offer work related learning to interns, we assist some orphanages and scholarships to universities,” she said.
“This is our way of giving back to the community. At InstaCare, we go that extra mile in making sure all our patients are given top notch service.
“We have assembled a dedicated team and state of the art machines at all our facilities.”
Having youths occupied by events such as sports seems to be a positive way for them to stay away from drugs, as suggested by Zanu PF youth secretary and Youth minister Tinoda Machakaire.
Speaking at the just-ended 11th edition of the Vocational Institutions Sports Association (VISA) National Tournament held at Kaguvi Vocational Training Centre located between Gweru and Kwekwe, Machakaire said sport can be used to fight drug abuse among the youths.
“Sport occupies our young people’s time and energy productively, builds their self-esteem and provides a positive alternative to the destructive path of drug and substance abuse that continues to threaten the future of our nation,” he said.
Commenting on the success of the commemoration, Takunda said it was good to see organisations complementing government efforts in fighting drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police ZRP should also be commended for the arrests and interception of drug dealers,” he said.
“I have noticed that almost on a daily basis, they are releasing information on drugs intercepted and arrests made.”
Though the arrests are being made, people still hold the view that those being arrested are just small fish.
They believe that the net will never close on perceived drug dealers who are politically connected or those who can pay their freedom out.
