Drug abuse is simply the abnormal use of drugs for the pleasure of the brain or other psychological or emotional satisfaction rather than the main use of the prescribed drugs. Ghana one of the Africa youth-dominated countries has been battling drug abuse for some time now. Youth in these societies focus on several aspects of social life for survival. Most youths in the slums and the streets abnormally use drugs, such as alcohol, marijuana, codeine, tramadol, cocaine, etc in the streets and ghettos in Accra, I found out that most of these children are between the age of 10-25years.
They started doing drugs due to overcome poverty, lack of parental control and guidance, peer pressure, social influence, emotional and psychological trauma. These youths confide in youth workers the activities they engaged in to afford drugs due to the high level of addiction. They all have big dreams and beautiful talents, especially in sports but sometimes can’t help themselves.
DFWA is gearing towards developing skating combined with hand ball into a competitive sport to promote positive youth engagement sports in African starting from Ghana.
After witnessing a guy being beaten on the street after using a skate to pickpocket someone at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The boy said he leaves on drugs and pickpocket using skate and makes it difficult to be apprehended which was shocking and heart breaking, DFWA hence initiating an alternative skating sport to exchange for drugs and pickpockets.
Sport has the power to cause a positive change in youth. It can be an alternative way
to reduce drug abuse. These youth can be well educated through sports since they can easily learn from what they love doing. Sport in its cross-cutting nature can improve their physical fitness, mental wellbeing, and social stability. We can teach these youths various life skills such as respect, teamwork, discipline, focus, productive, result oriented and respect for rule of law among others through sport. They can make a livelihood through sports if we can assure them of the needed support.
The youths are the future of every nation, if we save one of them from drug abuse, in turn can influence the rest. These acts will go a long way to creating a safe society.
DFWA is ready to partner and collaborate with government, public and private sectors to actualise the dream of setting African youths from captivity of drug abuse.
I believe together we win drug war.
@drugfreeworldafrica