A Training of Trainers’ Programme, under the Youth Empowerment Programme Against Drugs (YEPAD), aimed at engaging community members in the combat against drug scourge, was launched, on Monday, at the Rivière des Anguilles Social Hall.
The programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the National Drug Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office. It aims to empower communities with the right knowledge and training so that they are able to provide information, education, and support to prevent drug consumption in their localities.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal; the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), Dr Ismaël Rawoo; and other personalities were present on the occasion.
In his address, Minister Jagutpal informed that the Ministry in collaboration with some ten Non-Governmental Organisations, the Mauritius Police Force as well as other organisations, are working together to protect and empower the youth against the scourge of drugs. He thus reiterated for a concerted approach to respond to the dangers of drugs consumption among the youth.
Government, he highlighted, is deploying all necessary efforts to educate and empower the youth on drug resistance and resilience skills to counter the drug scourge. The community members, he said, should also join the Government in its efforts to fight the drug problem hence the launch of the YEPAD which is contributing in raising awareness on the threats associated with drugs and enable trainers to sustain drug prevention activities in their locality.
The Health Minister also dwelt on the importance of a community-based approach in preventing and reducing drug abuse, as well as the role of parents, family and the public, to guide and educate the youth on the ill effects of drugs. He stressed on the preventive and curative measures to prevent the proliferation of drugs in the country, which he said, remains a major challenge.
For his part, Dr Rawoo, spoke of the YEPAD which is being carried out in several regions across the country adding that the event marks its 15th launch. The programme, he indicated, will help caution the youth on different types of substances, and illicit drug trade as well as enable them to develop drug resistance.
He lauded the young volunteers who are working hard to counter the problem of drugs in the community and creating awareness on drug prevention. The youth, he underlined, will follow a five-day training to learn about the dangers of drugs adding that for the phase 2 of YEPAD, more activities will be organised as part of the training programme.
