A group of youths from Kiambu County is using the fashion and beauty industry to fight drugs and substance abuse in and out of the county.
Under the umbrella body, Amo La Moda, youths in the fashion and beauty industry from Thika founded the Mr. and Mrs. Birmingham Kenya event held every year in Kiambu County.
This year’s event was held at the Rainbow Resort in Ruiru where more than 200 youths from Kiambu, Nairobi and Machakos counties respectively, participated.
Speaking during the event on Saturday, Kiambu-based politician and a counseling psychologist Gladys Chania lauded the initiative.
Chania, the patron of the Amo La Moda event, emphasized on the need to nurture talents in the fashion and beauty industry among youths in a bid to curb drug abuse menace.
Gladys Chania, the Amo La Moda patron. [Photo/Gladys Chania]
She noted that three-quarters of the participants in the event were unemployed which puts them in a vulnerable position where they could resort to using drugs to boost their self-esteem.
“The more than two hundred youths who braved the whole night participating in different categories of the event, three-quarters are unemployed. If they’re not supported, they could end up desperate, frustrated and acquire low self-esteem that will lead to substance abuse and other social ills,” she said.
The Kiambu politician added, “It is important that youths embrace such events and we as a society support them through such platforms because this is where talent is nurtured and it is, by and large, helping in the fight against drug and substance abuse,” Chania told over the 200 participants.
She said that as a leader, she is keen on creating awareness and programmes to cushion youths from indulging in drugs and substance abuse because treatment is expensive.
Bridgit Kanini from Machakos County was crowned Miss Birmingham Kenya 2018 while Wycliffe Mageto from Nairobi County was crowned Mr. Birmingham Kenya 2018.
Wycliffe Mageto, was crowned Mr. Birmingham Kenya 2018 in the Amo la Moda event held on Saturday. [Photo/Gladys Chania]