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Drug and Alcohol abuse drivers of GBV
Livingstone, August 25, 2014, ZANIS——–Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Southern Region Commander Katisha Jere says drug and alcohol abuse are among the key drivers of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Zambia.
And Drug Enforcement Commission Program Officer Dorothy Mulenga said DEC involved former drug dependent persons and abusers as a priority group for good reason.
Mr. Jere says his Commission has for this reason interacted directly with clients who had fallen victim to GBV due to alcohol abuse as well as drug trafficking.
He explained that this resulted in the Commission being identified as one of the key partners in implementing the government and United Nations Joint Program on Gender Based Violence.
ZANIS re[ports that the DEC regional commander said this in Livingstone today during the opening of a workshop organized by DEC and UNICEF on entrepreneurship training for vulnerable youths, women, GBV Victims, former drug addicts and former prisoners.
He said the program had four outcomes which focused on strengthening the capacity of government and stakeholders by ensuring that GBV supervisors had increased access to timely and appropriate health services; protection and support services.
Mr. Jere further emphasized that the key strategies of the GRZ-UN joint program was to empower the youth in order to promote a mind-set change to enable them realize that empowerment came from within themselves, supported by capacity building for educational and economic empowerment.
“However, the GRZ-UN joint program on GBV’s main objective is to establish an implementation program between the government, Barclays Bank and UNICEF and other partners whose main objective is to establish an integrated and Multi- sectorial mechanism for the implementation of the Anti-GBV Act,” he said.
He stated that the trainings had been undertaken in Lusaka, Chipata and Choma and so far 447 beneficiaries men, had been trained in Own savings for Assets and Wealth Creation, Setting up businesses and Financial Business Management.
And Drug Enforcement Commission Program Officer Dorothy Mulenga said DEC involved former drug dependent persons and abusers as a priority group for good reason.
“We decided to do so because positive results have been seen from these people who have once been clients of the commission and have undergone counselling and viable businesses training and received loans.
Ms Mulenga explained that the program was vital for the youth as it empowered them with skills even when the country continued to struggle with high levels of unemployment.
Last year, the Drug Enforcement Commission trained 238 entrepreneurs in Lusaka, 100 in Chipata and has targeted to train 100 youths, men and women in Livingstone district this week.
ZANIS /ENDS/ WM/MM———-DRY
