VISION

A non-discriminatory society of healthy and empowered people living in a safe, transformed and sustainable environment, underpinned by a thriving and growing economy in which all participate and benefit fairly and equitably.

UGU DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

MAYORALTY AND COMMUNICATIONS

DISTRICT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SECTION

2011 PROGRAMMESS

Drugs and Substance Abuse Awareness Workshop

1. INTRODUCTION:

Drug abuse is a global problem and it has reached alarming proportions. InSouth Africa’s rural areas the traditional use of drugs for therapeutic, ritual and religious purposes has been replaced by socially detrimental abuse and drug addiction. The increase in worldwide communication, globalization of trade and transport and the movement of people across the South African borders has provided a fertile ground for illegal drug trafficking and the spread of drug abuse in the country.

Young people are faced by a number of challenges that affect their wellbeing or growth which include amongst others; substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, rape, crime, violence, unsafe sex, abortion, HIV/AIDS, TB, and emotional abuse. In responding to the findings indicated in the Ugu District Baseline Survey, conducted in 2009, a series of workshops have been planned in order to provide a platform where young people could engage on how the above mentioned challenges could be addressed with emphasis on “Drugs and Substance Abuse. Furthermore through using such workshops, young people could be exposed to various institutions, organizations or expects who could be able to offer assistance in dealing with the above mentioned challenges in future.

According to the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), the following statistics through surveys conducted in 2008/2009, reflect the ages of young people admitted in SANCA rehabilitation programmes who were into Drugs and Substance Abuse.

There is a strong argument that Drug usage and Substance abuse gives impetus to high level of crime and other challenges that affect young people hence young people are the most age group that was implicated in crime related incidences. It is against this background that Ugu District Municipality including other local municipalities within the district took the protagonist role in respect of intensifying the fight against Drugs and Substance abuse.

2. BACKGROUND:

Put a brief synopsis of Ugu Youth Policy Framework 2008-2014, position on this item (check the proposed interventions) and also incorporate the specific findings facts by Ugu Youth baseline survey, please refer to the cited documents.

3. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES:

Who will be invited, how are they going to be invited and split the categories e.g.: Victims, Juvenile offenders, school going etc.

4. Approach:

These workshops would be staged in all 6 local municipalities within the district whereby local municipalities would be responsible for all the logistics regarding the workshops with the district Youth Development Office being responsible for co-ordinating all aspects of the workshops as well as providing funding for same. The workshops would commence on the first week of 22 March 2011 – 6 April 2011, resulting in one workshop being held per day per local municipality, ensuring that such workshops were completed within the 3rd Quarter of the 2010/2011 financial year.

5. Methodology

During the workshops, presentations would be undertaken by various stakeholders chief amongst which would be: SANCA, SAPS, Dept of Health, Dept of Education, Dept of Social Development, and other Non Governmental Organisations within that particular Local Municipality. Exhibitions would also be staged by stakeholders mentioned above and young people taking part in the workshops would also be encouraged to exhibit art works indicating their understanding of Substance Abuse and Drugs Abuse.

These workshops would be stage in two folds, e.g. presentations and discussions; this would ensure that the desired objectives of the workshops were achieved and that the sample understood the intention behind such workshops.

6. STAKEHOLDERS:

The following locally based stakeholders would be required in order to achieve the desired outcomes of the workshops:

SANCA

SAPS

Department of Health

Department of Education

Department of Social Development

NGO’s

Young People in High Schools

Youth Development Officials within Local Government

7. OBJECTIVES

Apart from responding to the challenges as mentioned in the 2009, Ugu Baseline Survey, the objectives of such workshops would include the following aspects:

Exposing young people to relevant information regarding Anti-Substance Abuse & Anti Drug Abuse programmes;

Providing a platform for an intense interaction between expects in the field of Anti Substance Abuse & Anti Drug Abuse and young people within the district;

Ensuring that Ugu District Municipality & the family of municipalities play a pivotal role in respect of addressing Socio Economic Challenges facing young people;

Creating space for Sector Departments to expand and communicate their programmes relating to Drugs and Substance Abuse to young people for same to benefit from such programmes.

Piloting an Anti Drugs and Anti Substance Abuse Ambassador Programme in High Schools within the District.

Discussions on the establishment of an Anti Substance Abuse and Anti Drugs Abuse programme in High Schools within the District which would include relevant stakeholders within Public & Private Sector.

Drugs and Substance Abuse Workshop

Awareness

31 March 2011

Anti-Drugs Awareness creation Workshop.

(From left) Representative from Sitholimpilo Rehab Centre, Mrs. Makholwane (Social Worker), Cllr T M Cele (Ezonqoleni), Mr. Khuzwayo (Manager: Ugu District Youth Development Office), Mr. Skhosana (Sitholimpilo Rehab Centre), Mr. S. Nzimande (Chairperson: Ezinqoleni Youth Council), Representative from Environmental Health.

Learners attending Anti-Drugs Awareness Workshop.