The problem of drug addiction in Mombasa among the youths has been growing every day as experts are going up and down trying to find the solution.
To make the matter worse, these young boys and girls starts these habits when they are too young to imagine.
“Mateja” as they are well known by the residents in the area are the most feared people as they can even kill you if you refuse to give them money the moment you meet them during the night.
I met with one of the victims who was once a drug addict for more than ten years before he was rescued and got back to normal life.
Said Naima is his name. Very health and active, Naima spends most of his time in attending seminars and forums to discuss and teach his fellow youths on how drug addiction can ruin someone’s life and how to get out of it.
“I have been using drugs for almost 19 years, I started with cigarette, and graduated to bang then later I found myself using cocaine.” Explained Naim.
What may surprise you more about this young man who does not feel shy in sharing his testimony is that he started smoking cigarette while in kindergarten.
“The first time to smoke cigarette I was in cage two. Then it became my habit, little did I know is that it would change my life to a worse.” Explains.
“I came to bang while in primary school, went to cocaine in high school and later became a street boy immediately after completing my secondary school studies.” He added.
Despite the fact that he used to take drugs while in school, the good thing is that he managed to complete his studies.
“I was very rude in school and there was no teacher who could punish me because they feared my father would come to the school and shout to them.” He explained.
After school Said found himself in the streets of Mombasa. He can recall back in the year 2000 when he used to sleep in the streets with his fellow “Mateja.”
No one could let him in even his own family. It was till the year 2013, one day he was very sick and met with a good Samaritan who rescued him and took to hospital.
“I really came to believe that there is God. This man just came from nowhere, at first I thought it was an angel. He took me to Coast general Hospital and my life changed from that day.” He lamented while smiling.
Said who came a very rich family says that he had a wife and kids but he could not manage in handling the family, something that lead the wife to run away and left the kids.
These are some of the remarkable moments that this man can’t forget. He later took joined his family again and took his children to school.
Naima who now works with Reach Out Trust in Mombasa as a social worker uses his time in meeting with young boys and girls in teaching them on how to avoid drug addiction, using his testimony as an example.
“I urge my fellow youths that they should keep away from drugs because this is the right time to think about our future. I understand how painful it is and I don’t wish to see my brothers and sisters getting to this ugly life.” Said tells.