Hundreds of drug addicts from Kiambu County were on Wednesday treated to a rare fete by the Anglican Church as the church tried to rehabilitate them.
The event, which was organised by ACK St. James Cathedral, brought together drug addicts, recovering drug addicts and rehabilitated addicts who shared their experiences.
While addressing the congregation of about 200 drug users, the Cathedral’s provost Rev. Geoffrey Mungai, noted drug and substance abuse in the county has led to a major breakdown of family and societal values.
He said so many young people have been trapped in drugs rendering them unproductive.
He called upon the society to show love and acceptance to addicts in order to help them recover.
The provost pointed out that his church is on a mission to reach out to drug addicts since they are part of the society and they need help in order to change.
The church will thus be offering free counseling services and referrals to rehabilitation service providers.
“We must know that they are our brothers and sisters hence we cannot close our eyes on them. We have to assist them retrace their steps and reform,” said the clergy.
Joseph Muchiri, who is a recovering addict and a trained counsellor, said that drug addiction is a disease in which the sufferer mostly lacks power to seek help but with support of family and society there is hope for recovery.
Muchiri narrated how his 15 years of alcohol addiction almost cost him his life after attempted suicide.
He said that his life as an alcoholic had also completely cut him off from his family and cost him his job as a secondary school teacher.
“Members of my family avoided any contacts with me when they realised that alcohol had turned me into an irrational person and even stopped involving me in family decision making,” he said.
He, however, said that his family had on several occasions enrolled him in rehabilitation centres but he never changed. It was not until he made a personal decision to quit drinking that he was salvaged.