By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
The PWD Area Youth Development Organisation East of Freetown, has at a press conference, expressed its commitment to help government beat the abuse of deadly narcotic substances like Kush and other harmful drugs common among youths.
The Secretary General of the youth group, Mohamed Badamasi Cole said they are disturbed and concerned over the growing menace of the synthetic drug known as kush, and as an organisation they have made it their priority to tackle it.
Speaking about their possible interventions against the deadly substance, he said they will provide intelligence to local authorities to help crack down on such drug users and peddlers. He also mentioned that they will engage youths in “meaningful" discourse and sensitization activities. "We will continue to use wide range of informal learning opportunities to enable young people feel safe, develop as individuals and to participate and contribute as valued members of our community,” he said.
He went on: “we will work collaboratively and support external and partnership project to promote the same values of skills for young people". He therefore called on the government to help them regain their youth training centre which he claimed had been "illegally" occupied by an Indian with the business name SHALIMAR. "Subject to us regaining our occupied land, which we have been using as our youth space, we aim to re-engage our youths in meaningful employment training activities, such as welding, carpentry, tailoring, Gara-tie-dying etc.," Cole said.
He claimed the land where the training centre was built at Peace Market was given to them by the National Provisional Ruling Council in the 1990s for capacitating youths with skills and training developments and that over the years, the organisation judiciously utilised the land by way of erecting a youth training workshop, which provided opportunities in the arts of welding and carpentry.
However, the Secretary General said on the 6th of January this year, their workshop was demolished by the Indian businessman. He stressed that amidst the kush problem, their organisation needs its youth training centre "more than" ever which he said can serve as a center to rehabilitate drug users in their community.
The Secretary General admits that “kush use is prevalent in our community," a situation he said they deplore and have since created a task force to ensure they defeat drug abuse in that part of the city.
In his statement, the Public Relations Officer of the organisation, Affiju Kargbo noted they have been doing campaign against all kinds of harmful drugs. "We have done so many activities such as helping the youths to transform their lives,” adding they are currently having youths that they will be sending to the Hastings Rehabilitation Centre.
As a youth organisation, he said they have existed for over 30 years and that their main focus has always been to ensure their community youths are useful, as the area is notorious for high crime rate.
He also stressed the need for them to have their training centre. "When you look at the setting in our community, we have so many ghettoes. You have to go there bring them and get them rehabilitated," he said, assuring that they will help government in the fight against drug abuse.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (29/04/24)
