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Phillipa Mukome-Chinhoi Youth Interactive Correspondent
NORTON-based Yvonne Charity Mavhuna (20) is a motivational speaker on drug and substance abuse who wants to make sure that everyone who is doing it will stop.
She comes from a family of three and is a voice artist, and a poet pursuing Biomedical Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe.
Mavhuna stays in a place called Ward 7 which is the main centre of drug and substance abuse.
Watching young girls and boys wasting away health-wise and educationally motivated her to speak out against these substances. She writes and speaks out against all social ills that are affecting her community and social structures.
“God gave me a gift to speak, so I use it to help others, l write poems against drug abuse, laying out effects and weighing the value they bring on a person. It’s like reasoning with them in a way that is entertaining,” she said.
“I perform at drug awareness campaigns free of charge because all l want is so that our future leaders not to be affected.
“Who will lead us if the youths are wiped away by drugs, who will drive the industries, and worse who will teach good behaviour to children being born today.”
Yvonne met the Youth Interactive team during an event at ‘Fight Against Substance Abuse and Addictions Rehabilitation Centre’, (FASSA) a rehabilitation centre that is transforming lives for drug addicts which is led by Doctor Abigail Magwenzi.
Yvonne was one of the entertainers at the event and she recited a poem that motivated the youths to stop drug abuse.
She is looking for partners to assist her so that she can run her campaign with the slogan “Operation Mwana wangu kuRehab” starting soon in Norton.
She said ‘Operation Mwana wangu kuRehab‘, was an initiative or a campaign to motivate and assist parents and guardians to take their affected children for rehabilitation.
In her journey, she has come to realise that some of the youths no longer want mutoriro, but addiction is stronger than will, the craving keeps on increasing making it difficult to stop.
“These youths need help to stop the habit, we need to educate them and help them how to stop, let’s not shun away from those taking drugs they need help, most of them lose their lives while some get affected mentally, “she said.
The young lady said she is not afraid to visit them to hear their stories.
“She liaises with them in a way they understand and in most cases they become friends.”
“I started this journey in 2019 and around 2020-21 one of the youths Harrison Chitswa who used to take mbanje, alcohol, and bronco managed to stop and now he works and goes to church.”
“We helped him as a group of teens around 2020,” she explains.
“Harrison now works and prays and he no longer takes those things. We visit him to make sure he is serious about not taking drugs. We have been monitoring him for about one year now to be sure.
“We also formed a prayer group as school children and Harrison is our success.” Yvonne has won awards at an interschool’s debate and public speaking competition in Norton 2021.
She was also nominated the best female artist in 2021 on National Youth Day.
Currently, she is in the top 3 of “The Norton Got Talent awards “She is grateful because she is coming from somewhere and going to different scenes which are positive.
Her team members are busy carrying out drug awareness campaigns, roadshows, door-to-door sensitisation, posters, and other methods to alert parents and guardians out there that there is a solution to the drug abuse addictions that have affected families.
However, rehabilitation is very expensive in Zimbabwe, private ones are charging between USD600 to USD800.
“Despite all that, I will not give up on my journey to motivate everyone to accept their children and family members and assist them to stop abusing drugs by sending them to rehabilitation centres”, she said.
Online Reporter