Pastor Dorcas Rigathi on Thursday shared with secondary school students the dangers of engaging in drug abuse following what she witnessed at a medical camp she opened for those in addictions in Mombasa County.
Speaking to students at Tudor Secondary School in Mombasa, Pastor Dorcas told them that she would not want them to end up in the drug dens, and having wasted their promising lives in addictions.
“At the medical camp, the people have injected themselves everywhere with drugs, and the medics can hardly find somewhere to inject them for different medical procedures,” she told the students.
“Others who attended the medical camp had bruises on their bodies, charred lips, swollen parts of the body and red eyes. A majority were class eight dropouts, and others were university drop outs with no jobs.”
This was the first school in the Coast Region that Pastor Dorcas took the Boy Child Preventive Program. Previously, she has spoken to students at the Alliance Girls, Dagoretti High and Kahuhia Girls and Moi Girls among others to help the young children, from a young age to say no to drugs and negative peer pressure.
“Do not allow your life to be messed by alcohol, and drugs. You have a great destiny ahead of you,” said Pastor Dorcas.
She was at the Tudor Secondary as the two-day medical camp, which attracted more than 1,000 of those in addictions, continued at the Railway Dispensary Grounds, a few kilometres from the school.
Nacada Officer Eric Omondi said that the Coast region was among those most affected by alcohol, and drug abuse, but they were working with schools to sensitize students on the dangers of drug use.
Bishop Joseph Maisha who was also present to encourage the students said, “I have seen the heart of Her Excellency for the boy children. The boy children were completely forgotten, but it is now your time.”
Area DCC Ronald Mwiwawi raised concern over the poor performance of schools in the Coast region, saying that when the announcement for the national examination results was made, students from the region would be among the poorest in performance.
“It is unfortunate that when other parts of the country celebrate scoring many As, we have only one A. I urge the boys to focus on their studies, and say no to girlfriends. We are dealing with those addicted and living in the drug dens; keep away from Kenjaro and Magodoroni villages,” said DCC Mwiwawi.
The medical camp, which attracted more than 1,000 from the neighbouring drug dens of Kenjaro and Magodoroni villages, with more than 75pc from the male gender were characterized by bruises on their bodies, charred lips, swollen parts of the body, and red eyes.
There were doctors, pharmacists, psychologists, counselors and nutritionists at the medical camp to offer the needed medical help to all who came. Tens of them expressed a desire to go for rehabilitation and change their lives.
