Relief for drug addicts in Lamu as Sh98m rehab centre opens

Drug addicts in Lamu County seeking to reform will now get help locally following the completion of the first ever rehabilitation centre in the region.

The Sh98 million rehab centre has been built in Hindi in Lamu West and it was fully sponsored by the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).

Other partners include the Nons Verbe Foundation, Italian Red Cross and the county government of Lamu which gave the land for the building of the centre besides technical support.

The centre will be officially launched on Friday with Chief Justice David Maraga and KRCS Secretary-General Abbas Gullet expected to preside over the event.

CAPACITY

Confirming the completion of the project on Tuesday, Lamu Red Cross Society Branch Coordinator Kauthar Alwy Mohamed said the facility is generally meant to help drug addicts in the region recover and embark on more meaningful and productive lives.

The Hindi Rehab Centre has the capacity to hold up to 100 drug addicts at ago, both men and women.

Ms Alwy said so far nine patients have been registered prior to the official launch of the centre.

Outpatient services already being offered at the same rehab centre.

DRUG ABUSE

She acknowledged that drug abuse is a major challenge for many youth in Lamu and urged the local community to take advantage of the new facility to embrace rehabilitation in order to ensure the menace is wiped out.

In order ensure proper response by patients to the Hindi Rehab Centre, a harm reduction project which is funded by the Italian Red Cross has already been introduced.

YOUTH TRAINED

The project involves engaging the local community in discussions, screening and peer education sessions for both addicts and non-addicts.

“To ensure proper functionality of the new rehab centre, we have trained 20 youth from the community to do sessions on peer education and they are already doing well. In addition, we have launched school programmes on the same. We have also recruited three counsellors, including one for general issues on drugs while another one will be dealing with addiction. The other one is a psychiatric nurse who does counselling sessions to the addicts to convince them to embrace rehab and harm reduction. We hope to do the much we can to help drug addicts in this region turn their lives around for the better,” said Ms Awy.

RECEPTIVE

She said the community has been very receptive and expressed confidence that the centre will be of great help not only to Lamu but also the neighbouring counties including Tana River and Kilifi.

Locals interviewed by the Nation in Lamu on Tuesday said the rehab centre has come in time considering the high number of youth who are hooked to drugs, which has rendered many unproductive.

“We welcome the rehab centre in our region. It is on time. Instead of arresting and sending the drug addicts to jail and filling our prisons, it is the high time that we changed the approach by embracing rehab techniques. Let us all join hands to ensure the Lamu rehab centre is successful,” said Mr Omar Kassim, an elder from Lamu.

USEFUL GENERATION

Sauti ya Wanawake wa Lamu Chairlady Raya Famau said she was glad that the rehab centre will enable Lamu to make major strides towards resolving the issue of drug use.

“We want to have a generation that is useful to itself and the society,” said Ms Raya.

Mr Athman Khamis, a drug addict for the past 14 years, told the Nation that many like him are looking forward to the official opening of the rehab centre so that they can be helped to turn their lives around and quit drugs.

Mr Khamis says life as an addict is not only painful but also lonely and irresponsible.

“We are tired of the lifestyle of drugs. We are more than willing to give life a second shot with the assistance of the rehab facility. I want to be sober and try living a meaningful life,” said Mr Khamis.

In Lamu, areas known for high drug use include Lamu town, Mtangawanda, Pate, Siyu, Faza, Kizingitini, Mbwajumwali and Tchundwa.