Iwawa graduate spearheads campaign against drug abuse

By all accounts, the negative effects of drug abuse on society are far reaching.Considering that a significant proportion of the global population currently abuses drugs, it is vital to highlight the success stories of some people who have struck a balance in the fight against drug addiction.Twenty eight-year old Pacifique Nsengimana, a resident of Rubavu District is a typical example of such lucky people who have successfully quit drugs.As he puts it, his life had drastically been affected due to excessive consumption of marijuana and alcohol.“Now I have become a changed person and my future looks brighter because I have finally decided to stop drug consumption,” Nsengimana says.Nsengimana spoke of his past trials and tribulations at Iwawa Rehabilitation and Vocation Skills Development Centre (IRVSDC) at the recent pass out of students who had completed training in various vocational skills.For about two years now, he counsels drug addicts encouraging them to quit the vice. Nsengimana says he finds one of the most important aspects of his recovery as having the opportunity to share his story and life experience.“Drug addiction stories don’t often have a happy ending but whatever the ending, sharing them is very helpful,” he notes.Nsengimana reveals that for over 15 years, he played hide and seek with law enforcement organs as well as medical personnel until he found his way to Iwawa centre.At the centre, he successfully underwent rehabilitation and his life has never been the same again.While at Iwawa, Nsengimana remembers a moment, head bowed in silent prayer, asking for God’s help to quit drug addiction.“I had brought back my senses. I could not understand why a young person like me often got into such deep trouble as a result of illicit drugs,” he recalls.Having been morally and financially drained, Nsengimana thought it was the right moment to try and tame his irrepressible drug habit. True to his desire, Nsengimana managed to overcome his addiction.He, at first, believed that he was powerless over alcohol and marijuana with his life already in jeopardy. He says it is then when he realised that a greater power could help him restore his sanity.“I discovered that interaction with other recovering patients while sharing experiences rendered much greater chances of staying sober. Acquiring new friends was generally much healthier than prior relationships were when I was still using drugs,” he narrates.At first, Nsengimana says he endured some withdrawal symptoms such as depression but never gave up because he intended to effectively get rid of his drug problem.Today, he is a happily married man. His wife, Jeannette Rukundo, considers herself lucky because her husband miraculously survived something she says posed a threat to his life.She says that the year-long period spent by her husband at Iwawa was not a waste of time but instead a very effective disciplinary tool that curtailed his desire for drugs.“There was a major challenge of reducing his drug consumption and this affected our plans as a family,” she explains.The two are now happily working hard for the welfare of their young family.

National

Iwawa graduate spearheads campaign against drug abuse