By Major Hassan Kamara
Madam Fatmata Bintu Lavahun, President of the Armed Forces Wives’ Cooperative Society (AFWCS) and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Peter K Lavahun Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) ends national campaign against Kush and substance abuse.
With support from National Task Force for Drug and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the RSLAF, Mrs. Bintu Lavahun and team earlier started their campaign against Kush and substance abuse in all military locations in the West and Northern regions. On Monday 22 July 2024, she continued her sensitization tour to the South and Eastern regions started with Armed Forces Agricultural Unit, Moyamba District, 1 Infantry Battalion Moa Barracks Daru Kailahun District, 2 Infantry Brigade Kenema District, 5 Infantry Brigade Gundama Bo District and 14 Infantry Battalion Pujehun District.
During their engagement with attendees, the AFWCS displayed a drama to pass on their messages. The drama contained series of episodes narrating the risks surrounding the activities and intake of drug and substance abuse. The first episode narrated how a suckling mother with her baby trapped on her back was influenced by Kush. A passerby saw her stood in a deplorable zombie position and came to the rescue of the child. She removed the baby from her and went away unnoticed to the suckling mother due to the influence of Kush. The next episode portrayed how a young woman who was addicted to drug and will not spear her mother a moment in stealing her properties. She has stolen all house hold properties in exchange for drugs and further accused her mother of being useless, the question is the woman and her mother who is actually useless.
The following episode revealed how a family was highly pleased with their daughter’s academic success. The mother received a call from the principal and was told that her daughter came first. This news became the talk of the town and the entire family were not only proud of their daughter, but members of the community as well. The final episode focused on husband and wife who were indulged in the sales of Kush and other substances. As they were making huge profits from the sales, conflict exploded that led to the separation of the two, (broken home), the husband became weak with new lifestyle, was no longer effective at work and poor concentration develops in him. The office discovered that he is addicted to Kush, he was tried and dismissed from the service.
The drama team ends with the slogan “we say no to Kush to we pickin dem, no to Kush to we husband dem, no to kush to we wife dem, no to Kush na we barik, en no to Kush na mama salone”