CODAC tackles drug abuse head-on

The Coastal Drug Awareness Campaign (CODAC) hosted an awareness campaign at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility recently.

Male and female offenders participated in the event. Many people that are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol will lie, cheat and steal from their own loved ones to fuel their addictions.
The endless cycle to look form money to sustain their habits of addiction often results in the person injuring him- or herself, harming an innocent person, lose their jobs, fall out of favour with family and friends and ultimately ending up in a correctional facility.
Apart from making in-mates aware of the dangers of addiction, CODAC also strives for inmates to realise although they are incarcerated they are still worthy as a person and as an individual and that once released they can again take their rightful place in society.
CODAC also seeks to instill in inmates and staff the love of God.
Assistant Commissioner Erwin Axakhoeb who heads the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility at the event explained CODAC is a joint-initiative by inmates and correctional staff at Walvis Bay to bring the message to people out-side. The project star-ted in 2016 and serves to educate school learners, parents, care-givers, teachers, health professionals, business owners and community leaders to help the youth reject illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco use.
Axakhoeb further explained most of the crimes committed in society can be linked to drug- and alcohol abuse.
As a nation Namibians need to work and fight drugs and alcohol abuse, to bring about positive changes in the country.
“The mandate of the Namibian Correctional Service is to provide exceptional correctional services that empower offenders to be effectively reintegrated into society as law abiding citizens”, Axakhoeb further said.
CODAC youth ambassador Tuwilika Andreas declared at the event: “I am just another young girl from the community in Walvis Bay that along with other law abiding citizens are saddened by drug and alcohol abuse in the harbour town.
Everyone has a story. I don’t walk in your shoes and you don’t walk in mine. Your struggle is not mine, but your drugs and alcohol abuse effect the young. You are here at this facility away from your loved ones that misses you”, Andreas added.
Most of the young people do not know what parental love is, as their parents are abusing drugs or alcohol. What will the young ones remember of their growing up years when they are adults? A few of them will most probably follow the example of their parents and continue the circle of substance abuse.
Andreas assured offenders their loved ones are waiting for them and that they are loved by their loved ones. We all want you to change your lives and follow God. God too is waiting to usher them in from the cold.
We as the new gene-ration would like to live in a country that is free of the abuse of drugs and alcohol. We want to have a better future with our parents. Therefore to all drug dealers please refrain from buying and selling drags and to all the parents that are abusing alcohol thing what you are doing to your loved ones. Let make our country a better place for the future generation”.
Reverent Mara Jenniker of the Church of the Nazarene also attended the event, but not as a spiritual leader, but in actual fact an affected mother. Rev Jenniker lost her daughter due to drug abuse.
Her orphaned grand-son also fell into the trap of drugs and is now attending rehabilitation.
“God has blessed all women to barre children and that a child is a gift of God.
Therefore every mot-her has a dream and a vision for her child and will always feel proud if she saw her child no mother what he or she has done.
“All children do not turn out the way that a mother would want them to as everyone made his or her own choice in life. We need to know that a mother’s love is for ever and ever”, Reverent Jenniker explained.
A CODAC associate member and a Teacher at Walvis Bay Private High School, Miss, Ruthilda Ferreira who also attended the event during her turn to address guest said although a person’s choice (to use drugs or alcohol) is your own choice, it nonetheless affects other people.
“We as the loved ones of those who are abusing drugs and alcohol can only pray for them. We need to forgive them as God’s plans is not ours. Sometimes it feels like we have failed our loved ones that are addicted but we just need to believe that he or she will turn to get help, as for God nothing shall be impossible” Ferreira concluded.