During Youth Month IJR visited its young ambassadors in Vryburg, North West. One of the participants Thabang Gornolemo wrote a poem reflecting on how the use of drugs has affected youngsters living in Vryburg. Read the poem below:

We all have bad habits; we all have that one thing. We seek comfort in people, seek comfort and happiness in various ways. Some find it in alcohol & drugs. However, this is very wrong because the feeling is temporary, but we keep seeking that something that costs us a lot of money, our families, future and opportunities, not forgetting our own health.

Kids in Vryburg have dreams like kids in different places. Where there is life, there is war. The streets here can turn a good kid into a junkie, and it doesn’t take 5 minutes for the streets to do this to a kid. The results of democracy are very bad, drug abuse has increased, and it does each and every day.It’s hard to see the youth including myself losing love and respect for themselves.

Thabang Gornolemo : IJR Sustained Dialogue Ambassador for Vryburg