Prevention, treatment, and recovery for all!
In every corner of our beautiful Rwanda, lives are full of promise. Our communities are strong, our youth are talented, and our future is bright. Yet, like many places around the world, we are also facing a silent challenge that continues to affect individuals and families alike: the growing burden of drug and substance abuse.
This June, in partnership with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and STEPS Initiative, we are launching a powerful and inclusive campaign under the theme: “Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery for All!” This initiative is not just about raising awareness. It is about standing together as a nation to say “no” to stigma and “yes” to support, healing, and hope.
A crisis that needs everyone’s engagement and time
Drug abuse is not a matter of moral failure. It is a complex issue that can touch anyone, young or old, rich or poor, rural or urban. Whether it’s out of curiosity, peer pressure, trauma, or mental health challenges, the reasons people turn to drugs are deeply human. And so, our response must also be deeply human.
We must move beyond blame and judgment. We must listen. We must support. We must open the doors to education, to treatment, and to second chances.
Behind each case is a story, many of them rooted in hardship. Young people are not just looking for a high. Many are looking for a way out of emotional or social pain. Poverty, trauma, unemployment, or peer pressure, these are just some of the forces that push them toward drugs. But what begins as a way to cope often becomes a trap – one that is excruciatingly hard to escape from without help.
Addiction Is not a choice, it’s an illness
It’s easy to judge. It’s easy to say someone just needs more discipline or stronger morals. But addiction is not that simple.
Addiction is a chronic illness, a medical condition that changes the brain and affects behavior. It affects decision-making, emotional control, and physical health. And like any illness, it can most certainly not be solved with shame. It requires treatment, support, education, patience, understanding, and time.
Sadly, many of our brothers and sisters battling addiction never receive that help. Not because they don’t want it, but because they’re afraid. Afraid of being labeled, rejected, or punished. This fear leads to silence. That silence leads to suffering.
The power of community and change
Thankfully, Rwanda has begun to shift the narrative. We are moving away from viewing addiction as a crime or moral failure, and instead, embracing the as the public health issue it is.
Treatment centers like the Icyizere Psychotherapeutic Centre are already offering counseling and rehabilitation. Schools are starting to include drug education, and health workers are being trained to support people with substance use disorders, not just treat their symptoms, but walk with them through recovery.
But the most powerful change happens not in institutions, but in communities. Healing happens in homes, in churches, in youth groups, in families. When someone struggling with addiction is met with understanding instead of judgment, their path to recovery becomes real.
Prevention begins with us
The best way to fight addiction is to prevent it before it begins. That starts with education and knowledge. It starts with talking to our children, creating safe spaces where they feel heard. It starts in classrooms and living rooms, where young people are given the tools and guidance to make healthy decisions during times of adversity and struggle.
Every Rwandan has a role to play:
- Parents, talk to your children before the streets do.
- Teachers, look for the signs and act with care.
- Youth, be brave enough to choose a different path, and help your friends do the same.
- Faith and community leaders, be a voice of compassion and strength.
Recovery is real, and it belongs to everyone
To anyone struggling with substance use: You are not alone. Recovery is possible. You are not your addiction. You are a valued person with dignity, a future, and a role in society.
Getting help is not weakness. It is courage. And no one should have to walk the path to recovery by themselves.
We must stand together and create a Rwanda where recovery is seen as a human right, not a privilege. Where support is within reach, and no one is too far gone to be welcomed back.
Real stories, real hope
Across Rwanda, there are stories that inspire. Stories of young men and women who were once trapped by drugs, but with the help of their families, communities, and faith, they came back. They are now studying, working, leading, and giving back.
These stories are not miracles, they are proof. Proof that with the right support, anyone can rise above addiction. That’s why this campaign matters. Because it shows us that change is possible when we come together.
What will you do?
You don’t need to wear a uniform or have a title to make a difference.
You can:
- Learn the signs of addiction and share accurate information.
- Talk to your children or siblings today, not tomorrow.
- Support someone who is trying to recover.
- Speak up against stigma when you hear it.
- Choose kindness every time.
Behind every addiction is a human being. And behind every recovery is a community that chose to care.
Together, we can break the chains
This year’s anti-drug campaign is not just a warning. It is a promise, a promise to build a Rwanda that is healthier, more compassionate, and more united than ever.
As we launch this campaign on June 16th, we invite you to reflect on this:
- What part will I play?
- Whose story can I change?
- How can my kindness, time, or voice be part of someone’s healing?
Let us break the chains of stigma, silence, and despair.
Let us build a future where prevention, treatment, and recovery are not just policies, but promises for all.
Together, we rise. Together, we heal. Together, we break the chains.
Author: Sonie Annick Akaliza, mHub Rwanda, 2025-06-23
For further information about addiction treatment and prevention, please contact mHub on email: info@mhub-africa.org or call 0785-318416.