Campaign against drugs abuse in Mahalapye schools a hit with teachers

The ‘Stop Drug Abuse-Drugs Are Not Cool’ movement walk by G’Word that started early this month seems to be a favourite programme for teachers in Mahalapye where the team currently is. They have so far walked 200 km on their way to Francistown, while raising awareness about drugs and alcohol abuse in village kgotlas and schools. Phemelo Segale, a volunteer with Youth Of Hope Safe Haven Organisation (YOSHO) says that teachers of different schools particularly in Mahalapye have expressed vast interest in their programme.

“Teachers from different schools in Mahalapye have so far asked that we should do this very often and they requested for a relationship with us because they believe drugs are an ailment of today’ society,” he said adding that all the six places they have been to indicated that drugs and alcohol abuse were a concern. He also pleaded that although the walk bears fruits in the community, their challenge is sponsorships. “We do not have enough sponsors to help us through our journey therefore we would welcome any form of help to keep our journey going forward,” he said.

He said that Fountain of Life Ministries church also invited them to share their good message, which is a clear indication that what they do is visible in Mahalapye. The overseer of the walk, Boyson Mokone, a fully recovered drug addict, emphasised that collaborating with Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church this past Saturday as they preached the same gospel of drug and alcohol abuse was superior. “We addressed people at Mahalapye main Kgotla and it was quite a superb collaboration that was attended by both the young and the old,” he said.

While Madiba Secondary School would hold a two weeks boot-camp which will be officially opened today (Wednesday), Mokone said they have been given an opportunity to sensitize the young people tomorrow during the beginning of the classes. They will leave Mahalapye on the 27th and their next stop is Serule.