The youth play a key role in national development and it is for this reason that Camfed Members Association celebrated the International Youth Day with Kumbungu D/A JHS pupils to help address the issues that concern the youth.
Issues such as early child marriages, school dropouts, drugs and substance abuse among others are the challenges that bedevil youth development in the country.
Hence the topic chosen for the celebration with the pupils was; “A health talk on drug and substance abuse” and the discussion was targeted at final years pupils who may require some guidance on decision making for the future.
According to Appiah Blessing, one of the final year pupils of the Kumbungu D/A JHS “ some of her peers use drugs out of ignorance, curiosity, lack of parental control, peer influence among others.
“We the final year students take some drugs just to make us stay awake to learn so that we can pass our BECE to enable us move to the next level of the education ladder” she added.
During deliberations, Camfed Members Association counseled the pupils to understand that they could still make the grades without taking any drugs to stay awake to learn for their exams.
The pupils were made to understand the effects of drug abuse and the possible remedies for drug addicts. Some of the effects include; psychological problems like madness, lung cancer, social stigma and others.
They were counseled to seek medical health or go for guidance and counseling when faced with challenges.
The students were glad to celebrate the day with the association members and hoped for more interactions of such nature in the future.
Story By: IBRAHIM ADISAH, Community Journalist, Kumbungu
