The rate at which drug and substance abuse in increasing in our communities is alarming. There is need for a multi-stakeholder approach in combating this menace. A Harare based psychiatrist remarked that since the inception of lockdown due to Covid-19 there has been a sharp increase in substance abuse. During the lockdown period, crystal meth became not just the newest drug but also the country’s newest epidemic. She remarked that more resources are being channeled to the fight against crystal meth at the expense of other mental health conditions. The country’s President has warned that turning a blind eye to crystal meth addiction is giving up on the future of our nation, as this substance is a real threat to the fate of our youth. He stressed the urgent need to redouble our collective fight against this new phenomenon.
Crystal meth addicts are not just found in Mbare, Epworth, Mabvuku, Tafara or any other suburbs commonly known for harboring unruly youths. The reality is that in the confines of any church, someone is suffering in silence, enslaved to some addictive substance or behavior. The proliferation of drug culture in our nation, which is deemed predominantly Christian, should be a scar in the conscience of the Church. The Church ought to be seized with finding ways to combating substance abuse and reversing the drug culture.
Transformation Team and Seed Foundation saw the necessity to equip Pastors, Youth Leaders, Clergy and elders with strategies, tools and resources necessary to respond to the crisis in their communities through counseling. In partnership with Life Challenge Academy (LCA), they will be conducting a Drug Addiction Counseling Workshop for Pastors in Harare. LCA is a global organization that provides training and certification in Biblical Addiction Counseling. The workshop will be conducted from 10th to 12th February 2022.
As Zimworx, we are always driven by our commitment to excellence while making a global impact for the kingdom. This drive and zeal attract us to initiatives that seek to improve lives and make a lasting impact in communities. This is the reason we chose to partner with Team Transformation in the conducting of the Drug Addiction Counseling. We have sponsored part of the event and our pastors will also attend the 3-day workshop, equipping them for effective execution of their mandate in the workspace.
This partnership will not be possible without the magnanimity and generosity of our managing partners, clients and beneficiaries. For these we pray that God blesses them indeed, enlarge their territories and keep them from evil.
