Sports Minister Nelly Mukazayire on Sunday, September 27, joined residents of Gakenke District in a sports activities aimed at promoting sober living among young people, as the district continued its campaign against alcohol and drug abuse. The activity, held as part of Car-Free Day, brought together hundreds of residents, local and provincial leaders, security officials and celebrities for a run from Gakenke District headquarters to Nemba football pitch, where the participants took part in physical exercises and different games. ALSO READ: Musanze lights up for night run against drug abuse The event was also part of the country's ongoing Sober Generation campaign, through which the leaders and public figures have been engaging young people in different districts on healthy lifestyles, raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Mukazayire said the campaign should go beyond the use of “sober” as a slogan, arguing that sobriety should enable young people to make wise decisions about their lives. “When we use the word ‘sober,’ it is not simply a slogan. It means having young people with clear minds, who can make sound choices, know what they want and understand where they want to go,” she said. She said healthy citizens are central to Rwanda's development because national progress requires the participation of individuals and families. “For a citizen to be at the centre of the country's development, they need to be healthy. Whatever the country does, we cannot achieve it without your participation and mine,” Mukazayire said. ALSO READ: Umuganda: Gasabo residents urged to vote, fight drug and alcohol abuse The minister also called for greater attention to families, saying parents have a responsibility to create environments where children can grow up with healthy habits. She said efforts to fight alcohol abuse should not focus only on young people but should also involve adults who can set examples for the next generation. Sunday's activity was not the start of Gakenke's campaign. The district has been taking its Youth Resilience Campaign to different sectors, where young people meet to discuss values, decision-making and issues affecting their community. Vestine Mukandayisenga, mayor of Gakenke District, said young people are encouraged to participate in these discussions and make choices about the values they want to embrace. “We move around different sectors and talk to young people about values. Young people sit together in their sectors and discuss the values that are important to them,” the mayor said. Gakenke has more than 389,000 residents, with young people accounting for about 30.2 per cent of the population, according to district figures. The mayor said the focus on young people is deliberate because they form an important part of the country's future. The campaign has also been accompanied by measures targeting illicit alcohol. The mayor said the district had destroyed more than 7,500 litres of spirit-based alcoholic drinks. She added that about 1,510 bars had been closed as the district sought to regulate drinking establishments and address activities associated with alcohol abuse. She said some illicit alcoholic drinks were consumed in hidden locations that could also become settings for other crimes. The district has since introduced regulations governing bars, aimed at ensuring that residents have access to properly managed establishments. ‘Until it becomes part of our culture’ Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde said sports should become part of people's daily lives rather than an activity reserved for organised campaigns. He said the province had spent the weekend promoting sober living through different activities, including sports in Musanze, before Sunday's event in Gakenke. “We want this to continue until it becomes part of our culture,” he said. Mugabowagahunde also warned people who continue to hide or deal in illicit alcohol and drugs that they could face legal consequences. He urged anyone still holding such substances to hand them over to authorities so they can be removed from communities. ALSO READ: 'Sober Gen': Youth urged to make sobriety a way of life He said the responsibility to promote sober living also rests with adults. “When a child grows up seeing their father come home drunk, that is what they may consider normal. When a child goes to school and only sees bars around them, they may start thinking that drinking is normal,” he said. “Adults should therefore be the first to set an example, and it is possible.” ‘Put the car in reverse’ Rally driver Queen Karimpinya, who joined the activity, used her experience in motorsport to deliver a message to people struggling with alcohol and drug abuse. She said drivers need to remain sober to safely compete, comparing losing control of a car with losing direction in life. “In a rally, sometimes you are driving and suddenly go off the road and end up in the bushes,” she said. “When that happens to me, I put the car in reverse, go back and get the car facing the right direction again.” Karimpinya encouraged people who have fallen into substance abuse to similarly return to a healthier path and seek help. “If you have become addicted, there is treatment. You can be treated and recover,” she said. She said people should not consider addiction an irreversible situation, urging those affected to seek support from relevant institutions. Young people in Gakenke said the participation of senior officials in the sports activity provided an opportunity to connect with the message in a more informal setting. Jacques Nshimiye, a resident of the district, said seeing leaders participate in sports alongside residents made them feel more approachable. Nshimiye said young people in Gakenke were increasingly embracing sports as an alternative to alcohol and drug use. “We now understand that the most important thing is our health. Being sober makes you do everything better,” he said.
