Damongo: The Damongo Youth Hub, in partnership with the Empowerment for Life (E4L) Programme, has engaged various stakeholders in the West Gonja Municipality to enhance efforts against the sale and use of illicit drugs, particularly in the Damongo township.
According to Ghana Web, the event held in the Savannah Region aimed to promote collaboration and collective action to counter the effects of drug misuse and abuse, especially among the youth. Participants included officials from security agencies, religious leaders, traditional authorities, parents, educationists, health workers, representatives from the Narcotics Control Commission, the youth, and the media.
Mr. Abdulai Kudus, a member of the Damongo Youth Hub, addressed the gathering, expressing concern over the growing issue of illicit drug use in the municipality. He emphasized the detrimental effects of drug abuse, stating, "The increasing availability and misuse of substances amongst young people threatens their health, education, future, and the peace of our community. If we do not act together, we risk losing a generation to addiction, crime, and hopelessness."
He called on participants to enhance education and awareness, promote moral and family values, support rehabilitation efforts, and create opportunities for positive youth engagement. Mr. Abdulai Salam, the Savannah Regional Coordinator of the E4L Programme, mentioned that the Damongo Youth Hub had developed a roadmap to address illicit drug use in the municipality.
Mr. Salam expressed optimism that the engagement would yield practical recommendations, sustainable solutions, and robust partnerships to mitigate drug misuse and abuse, restoring hope for residents in the area.
The E4L Programme is dedicated to ensuring that civil society organizations in northern Ghana contribute to improved resilience, equity, and more accountable governance in the country. It is implemented in the Northern, North East, and Savannah Regions by four local partners: Ghana Developing Communities Association, School for Life, YEFL-Ghana, and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships, with funding support from Civil Society in Development, a Danish organization, through Ghana Venskab.