Local organisation, Purpose Rwanda together with National Rehabilitation Service (NRC), have rolled out a five year campaign aimed at tackling Delinquency and Addictions. The campaign is themed “together for a delinquency and addiction free Rwandan society”, and will run till mid-2017 Bruno Agaba, the Legal Representative of Purpose Rwanda, said the campaign will increase awareness through research on addictions and management measures as well as engaging local communities and schools. The campaign has been informed by the organisation’s 2021 survey which showed that out of 10 families in Rwanda, seven have one or two members addicted to a drug or a behaviour. It also revealed that alcohol related addictions increased by 5 per cent while sex related and social media addictions rose by 7 per cent. Judith Katabarwa, a Board Member of Purpose Rwanda, addiction and delinquency undermine the country’s development efforts. “When one becomes an addict, the human capital that was meant to build the transformation of the nation starts lacking. From this campaign, we hope to transform the lives of Rwandans through building a free addiction and sober society that will not only help lives, but also contribute to the development of the country,” she said. Fred Mufulukye, the Director-General of National Rehabilitation Service, said that 90 per cent of children on the streets are victims of dysfunctional families. He urged parents to protect their kids from drug abuse and exposure to other circumstances that can lead them to delinquency and addiction. “The community should also stop the stigma it puts on recovered addicts or people from rehabilitation centres. Many don’t fit in the society after returning from these centres, something that makes them relapse,” he added. Target and goals of the campaign By 2027, Purpose Rwanda aims to have helped more than one million addiction patients, reached, rehabilitated, recovered and also prevented delinquency and addiction. The organisation also aims to have built at least one rehabilitation centre in each province of Rwanda by the end of the campaign.
