Online Reporter
Health Reporter
MEDICAL Practitioners have made a passionate plea to parents and guardians of children who are using drugs and other harmful substances to get counselling for them as part of efforts to ensure they have holistic healing.
This was highlighted by Professor Nathaniel KudakwaMwari, Doctors On the Move Initiative (DOMI) Director during a counsellor training workshop ahead of a drug awareness campaign to be held in Bulawayo on 15 November 2025.
More than 15 counsellors completed training.
Prof KudakwaMwari who is also a Lecturer at University of Muchinga in Zambia said counselling is important for survivors of drug abuse.
“We want parents, caregivers to bring their children struggling with drugs to attend the event so that they can be assisted with free counselling and withdrawal plans and medication,” Prof KudakwaMwari urged.
Prof KudakwaMwari also highlighted the support from Midlands State University, noting that their university counsellor and mental health therapist Ms Everjoy Masanjala trained staff in preparation for the awareness campaign.
The workshop underscored the urgent need to combat drug and substance abuse, particularly among the youth, calling for collaboration among families, educators, leaders, and young people to champion mental wellness and prevention.
Mr Steve Bloomfield, therapist and counsellor with DOMI, said drugs have become a “menace in Bulawayo” and announced that the initiative is developing a relapse prevention strategy to curb re abuse.
The counsellors who will be at the drug awareness campaign said they are ready to discharge their duties come 15 November 2025 and urged all parents and caregivers who have children abusing drugs to come and attend and get help whilst it’s still early.
The drug awareness campaign will feature exhibitions, expert presentations, interactive sessions, and distribution of educational materials, building on the momentum of recent high level meetings in Bulawayo that highlighted the province’s need to fund substance abuse initiatives and aligning with national efforts to address the rising drug abuse crisis in Zimbabwe.
