10 Nov 2021

Students have been urged to shun drugs and substance abuse and prioritise education.

The call was made by director of Dream of the Nation Non-Governmental Orgainsation, Mr Ithuteng Mayaro in an interview on November 9 shortly after a workshop on substance abuse with Maitlamo Junior School pupils in Maun.

He said drug abuse destroyed the future of learners as those who engaged in drugs failed in academics.

“One common drug, marijuana, once taken by students may lead to addiction which may cause a student to miss classes to feed his or her addiction,” he said.

Mr Mayaro urged students to guard against peer pressure saying some students found themselves faced with the predicament of drug addiction after being influenced by their friends.

He said drugs resulted in some students misbehaving, neglecting personal hygiene and some getting diseases related to drugs and substance abuse.

Mr Mayaro became a drug abuse activist following his battle with drugs while he was a student.

It was drugs that caused him to fail his form five examinations, he said.

Dreams of the Nation, he said was birthed in 2019 after he worked with the Ministry of Health and Wellness under the Alcohol Unit.

He said he realised the ministry’s Alcohol Unit targeted adults and left children behind in its anti-drug and alcohol abuse community outreach programmes.

Subsequently he formed Dreams of the Nation to help learners at Junior and Senior Schools to eschew drugs.

Mr Mayaro said the NGO had so far managed to visit Maitlamo Junior School in Maun and had plans to visit the remaining Junior Schools of Tsodilo, Moeti, Sedie, Tshwaragano as well as Maun Senior Secondary School.

He noted that their wish was to visit schools in remote areas especially boarding schools where learners spent more time away from their parents and were likely to face challenges such as drug abuse.

Mr Mayaro further appealed for support of his organisation saying he needed more volunteers to achieve his aim.  ENDS