If drug abuse is not addressed adequately, drug abuse-related mental illnesses could rise, Fred Mufulukye, the Director-General of National Rehabilitation service has warned.

He was speaking to 25 groups of former addicts on Friday that are set to drive the fight against addiction and delinquency.

"We have realised that most of the mental health issues recorded at Ndera hospital are related to drug abuse. There is a need for more efforts and investment in rehabilitating those affected by drug abuse so that they do not develop mental illnesses," he said.

Currently,  he said, rehabilitation service is currently treating over 3,000 delinquents most of whom were addicted to drug abuse.

"We send them to Ntera hospital and most of them are found with mental illnesses caused by drug abuse and alcohol," he said.

He said there is also a need for investments to create income-generating projects for those rehabilitated so that they do not fall back into delinquency considering that poverty is among the causes of delinquency.

The major causes of delinquency, he said, include poverty, unemployment, low levels of education, dysfunctional families, violence as well as peer influence.

The government spends Rwf70 million per month in rehabilitating delinquency on only the Iwawa Centre, which is the largest of the three rehabilitation centres run by NRS.

" After being rehabilitated they need to be grouped in cooperatives and get startup capital since most of them learn TVET at the centres," he said.

Over 4,000 addicts  to get support

Bruno Agaba, the legal representative of Purpose Rwanda Organization said that they are supporting 25 groups each composed of over 10  people who were addicts of drug , sex and other behavioral addictions.

" We rehabilitate and counsel them for three months because they are the best to help in fighting addictions and delinquency because they were also the victims and know others who are still addicted to such behaviors.

 We are going to support them with income-generating projects so that they get platform to totally beat drug abuse and other behavioral addictions such as sex-related addictions. So far 120 of them are doing businesses such as hairdressing, bakery, carpentry, poultry, cleaning services, piggery, and others," he said.

He noted that the project targets to create and support 400 groups with recovery and be grouped in cooperatives that do some businesses that generate income for them.

" We carried out a simple research in February 2021 on the status of addictions namely drugs, alcohol and behavior addictions among sampled 55 families and found that seven of ten families have at least one or two members struggling from such addictions. That is why there is a need for urgent action in prevention and awareness," he said.

Testimonies

Angelique Nyirasangwa said that due to poverty she became delinquent and then sex worker.

She testified that due to such addictions including drug abuse she gave birth to four children of whom she doesn't know their fathers so far.

"I was always drinking alcohol day and night. I used to be taken to transit centres for delinquents every week. My children had become street children and this has mentally affected me so much. Today I have got an alternative source of income to meet the needs of my children and the project will also pay school fees to my children," she said.

Jean-Marie Vianney who has been smuggling cannabis for 15 years since his adolescence said that this has affected his life.

"I have divorced twice due to such addictions. Today I have recovered and I have a business rearing over 600 poultry. I am no longer a drug abuse addict," he said.