"Bhang!!!"

We conducted our first Drug Awareness Workshop for Youths here this week at the Comboni Parents Secondary School. I do not know why it is called that, but it is. Our Community Policing officer had identified through the SSPS and the community that there was a drug and alcohol problem among the youths living in the area. He decided that a drug talk at one of the schools was a good idea. I agreed.

Opium….Wait a minute…Opium? We organized with the SSPS and one of the schools to do a Drug Awareness Workshop for some of the local youths. We made pamphlets on opium and alcohol abuse. After speaking to one of our language assistants, I quickly learned that they what they refer to as “opium” is actually marihuana or what they her call "Bhang". Yes. Good old green. It made a lot more sense. What a waste of paper.

Our mandate here is not to do community policing, but to advise, mentor, and train the SSPS to be better police officers in every sense including community policing. Unfortunately, on the day of the first drug talk, the SSPS officer that was to assist us had his father pass away. We arrived at the school and all of the students were waiting for us. We did it anyway. They loved it. Especially Wayne’s bag of Skittles. What was he thinking? SEND MORE SKITTLES!!!! It was nice to see students that were so polite, obedient, and actually very interested. It was a success, despite us not fulfilling our mandate. It’s okay. There are more grades to cover and more schools as well.

We are currently trying to organize training for the SSPS on drugs and alcohol in conjunction with these school talks. The hope is that we will be able to initially mentor them and that they will eventually be able to take over the lead role and give these talks themselves. We are hoping to do the same with HIV awareness.

Cheers,

Gonzo.

(Photos Top to Bottom: 1) Gonzo at the blackboard with Wayne making sure my English is correct, 2) Wayne PLIMMER and Aimable MUPENDE (Rwanda) helping out the students, 3) James OGETO (Kenya) lecturing on Alcohol Awareness.