By Reporter
The Recovery Coalition Members and Participants in Uganda recently held the 4th Annual Uganda Recovery Walk, as one of many darts to create awareness about the rampant vice that is substance and Alcohol abuse, and problem behaviour(sex addiction,gambling,et al). The walk which took place last Saturday at Kitante Primary School, was attended by an array of government bodies and NGOs.
The walk is held every september because September is a Recovery month worldwide. To celebrate the day, millions of prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and facilities around the world organize activities that recognize the problem and create awareness. The Ugandan edition was attended by individuals who’d faced and overcome the wrath of alcohol and other abuse plus problem behaviour as well as service providers in the field of mental health, such as; Focus On Recovery-Uganda, FORE Tranquil Homes, UAPA, Hope and Beyond, Serenity Center, Vkids, UNHCO, Butabika National Refferal Hospital, Ministry of Health, Ministry Of Education, UHCA, Kyambogo University (KYURI,) St Francis Primary School, Makerere Primary School, Green Valley Primary School, Ugandan Girl Guides Association, Recovery Ministries Internaitonal, Teens Challenge Jinja, Transformative Recovery Initiative, Uganda Youth Development Link, Life Back Foundation, International Aid Services.
The ED of Butabika Dr. David Basangwa, who was representing the Minister of State for Primary Health Care,Hon Dr.Joyce Moriku Kaducu, commended Recovery Coalition for the work they were doing. He emphasided the need for Ugandans to own the problem of alcohol abuse and mental health, before suggesting that children be made aware of the dangers substance use right from an early age, in schools. “Addiction is a menace to our society that needs to be curbed, because it is spreading like a wild fire. That is why as Ministry Of Health, we pledge to always support the efforts of civil society organisations such as Recovery Coalition”,he stated. Many of the individual participants that attended the walk had only recently recovered through the Rehab Course at Tranquil Homes Entebbe, and were elated to share testimonies.“I want to take this opportunity to thank FORE Tranquil Homes for helping me recover.
The environment in their Entebbe Premises is, like their name, very tranquil, and facilitates the steady progress through their panoply of recovery programs,” noted a former abuser who’d recovered.
