In Extensive Campaign, Caritas Freetown Constructs Rehab Centre for Underage Girls Addicted to Killer Drug “kush”

He explained, “We'll take 30 children per term, rehabilitate them psychologically, give them medicine to detox them, but also train them in agricultural skills so that when they are discharged from the kush rehabilitation center, they will have sustainable skills.”

“This we don't do in isolation. The government was involved to check the suitability of the facility. And soon it will be commissioned to solve this problem,” the member of Clergy of Freetown Archdiocese said.

The main objective of Caritas Freetown’s campaign is to address “kush” drug abuse among children under 14 by preventing consumption and supporting detoxification and social reintegration.

Activities include awareness campaigns, targeting children, teachers, families, community leaders, and NGOs. Village and community leaders are also targeted in the awareness campaigns.

Caritas Freetown also provides legal representation for children arrested for kush-related offenses and advocates for child-friendly justice processes and legislative reforms.

The charity arm of Freetown Archdiocese that is collaborating with Für Sierra Leone (FSL), Atabal Association, various local organizations, and government institutions in Sierra Leone wants to reach approximately 320,000 people through community workshops.

Caritas Freetown is also seeking to educate 10,800 students in 36 schools, influencing an additional 54,000 relatives.

The effects of “kush” in Sierra Leone have been so devastating that, according to Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles, young people are being found dead on the streets after using the drug.

On October 27, the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, raised alarm over the presence of six uncollected corpses on the streets of the city, citing a lack of response from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) regarding which authority should handle the situation.

In the October 27 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Konteh reiterated Archbishop Tamba Charles’ sentiments, saying, “The situation of ‘kush’ in our country is becoming very, very alarming. There is evidence of the devastation everywhere. It is terrible. Our future is at stake because those dying are young people.”

The award-winning Catholic Priest recalled the awareness campaign that Caritas Freetown engaged in while “kush” use was still manageable, expressing regret that the calls the Church made to nip the problem in the bud were not taken seriously.

He made particular reference to the ACI Africa 19 January 2023 story in which he raised the alarm that “kush” use had increased as the country prepared for its 2023 general elections.

Fr. Konteh said, in reference to Caritas Freetown’s earlier awareness campaigns, “Many people did not listen to us. People wait until a situation has gone beyond control. This is the time everybody is talking. To every TV station, the situation has now become alarming.”

“People are dying. You can see people sleeping while standing on the streets with the drug in their hands,” the Caritas Freetown Executive Director told ACI Africa.

He said that Caritas Freetown has been on a sensitization campaign against the use of “kush” for years. “We go to communities. We go to areas where this kush is manufactured and talk to them. We have been on that campaign for a very, very long time. And not just now when it has escalated,” the Sierra Leonean Priest said.

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He added that while every Sierra Leonean is “throwing the responsibility to government”, pressuring it to act, the approach of Caritas Freetown has been a collective effort.

“We see that people politicize everything. But kush is not something to politicize. It is about the future of this country,” Fr. Konteh said, and continued, “Generally, the tendency is to blame the party in power, who, of course, I do agree they have the fundamental responsibility because people have voted for them. But my call is collective effort.”

He said he found it unfortunate that those who know the source of “kush” are unwilling to speak out. “They keep quiet. Yet our future is being destroyed,” Fr. Konteh lamented.

“It is therefore an urgent call to action and Caritas is not giving up. We continue to create sensitization and awareness in our communities,” he told ACI Africa on October 27.