Deputy Minister Mercy Dinha (centre) poses for a photo with musician Saintfloew (left) and Swedish Embassy Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation, Dag Sundelin
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Public, private, civil society and international partners, have been called upon to work together to fight drug and substance abuse, which is affecting the country.
Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, said this at the launch of Phase 2 of The Strength Is In You anti-drug campaign at the Swedish Residence on Thursday.
The Strength Is In You campaign is being implemented by Population Solutions for Health (PSH) with support from the Embassy of Sweden.
Through this campaign, PSH is creating a movement that discourages drug use behaviour, as well as reducing demand for drugs.
“To all our partners public, private, civil society, and international this is a call to action. We need to reinforce positive behavioral change, not only among survivors, but also within families, peer groups, and entire communities.
“Let us stop working in silos.
“The complexity of drug and substance abuse requires a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach.
“Fragmented efforts dilute impact, unified action amplifies it,” said Deputy Minister Dinha.
Deputy Minister Dinha also applauded the Swedish Embassy saying, “we remain deeply appreciative of your investments through various implementing partners.
“Your support has not only advanced programmatic outcomes but also ignited societal awareness and empowered our youth to take charge of their future.”
She added that it was good that second phase of The Strength Is In You campaign had expanded scope because of the incorporation of caregivers, influencers and community champions.
“The campaign’s adaptive model reflects the lived realities of our communities and speaks directly to the heart of prevention, support, and recovery.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Swedish Embassy Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation, Dag Sundelin said they were happy to support the initiative which focuses on engaging youth, who are the cornerstone and future of Zimbabwe.
“The Embassy of Sweden recognises the significant efforts made by the government of Zimbabwe, led by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in addressing the drug problem.
“Notable initiatives include the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan and the recently launched Zimbabwe National Resource Mobilization Programme.
“The Swedish Embassy is proud to support these efforts through “The Strength Is In You to Stop Drugs” campaign, funded with 20 million Swedish kronor over three years, from 2023 to 2025.”
Sundelin added that they further support PSH in implementing the “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” campaign, which is against Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriages.
He further revealed that they believe in prevention being key, hence they support initiatives that target young people to prevent drug use before it starts.
“By addressing this issue, we can assist the government of Zimbabwe in saving significant funds by avoiding costs associated with medical expenses related to mental health, STIs, and HIV due to unprotected sex, and sexual violence.
“A drug free youth is a healthy youth who contributes to the development of this country,” added Sundelin.
Doctor Noah Taruberekera, PSH Executive Director, applauded the support from government and from the Swedish Embassy.
“We are truly grateful for your (Deputy Minister Dinha) commitment to supporting young people to stop drug and substance abuse.
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Embassy of Sweden for its generous support.
“This support allows us to utilize both mass and digital media as well as peer-to-peer mobilization in our efforts to tackle negative societal norms such as drug and substance abuse, gender-based violence, and child marriages through our ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’ campaign.
“Your partnership is crucial to our work,” said Taruberekera.
He added: “I want to thank everyone of you for your contributions along our journey with this campaign.
“Let us continue to place young people at the centre of all our programming. Remember it takes a village to raise a child.
“Together, we can provide the support our young people need to overcome the challenges of drug and substance abuse that threaten to destroy the fabric of our society.
“Together we can make a difference.”
Several stakeholders including influencers, religious leaders, students from communities where the campaign is being implemented, attended the event.
