Cape Town - Parents, schools, and social development stakeholders needed to teach children about the effects of substance abuse far sooner than in previous years if the war on drugs was to be effective on the Cape Flats.
“We are living in a society where young children are scarily familiar with substance abuse because they see it happening around them all the time. We’ve long passed the era where we could wait until our children were teenagers before we had the serious discussions with them about things like sex and drugs,” said the City of Cape Town’s Councillor Suzette Little, Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Early Childhood Development.
On Friday, the Directorate headed by Little, began rolling out the third year of its “Soft Skills” programme which focuses on young children as an intervention against substance abuse.
The expertise of social stream professionals had been enlisted, including social workers, psychologists, and occupational therapists.
Little stated that research indicated prevention was best exercised when children were self-assured and able to withstand peer pressure.
The team would help programme participants develop these skills along with those of communication, appropriate social behaviour, and how to lead healthy lives.
“Substance abuse often goes hand-in-hand with peer pressure and low self-esteem, so we are trying to build up the self-worth and self-belief of these young people to ensure that they are less susceptible to the influences that could see them fall into the substance abuse trap,” said Little.
The Grade 3s and 4s targeted in the programme would also be taught about the effects of substance abuse.
“These are concepts which would ideally be taught in the home, but it is an unfortunate reality that many children are being denied these basic teachings because their environment is one where substance abuse is entrenched in their daily lives and considered the norm,” said Little.
She said that many of the children who would take part in the programme were already addicted to drugs, a fact to which social workers and rehabilitation facilities could attest.
However, the age group targeted were understood to be more receptive to development-type programmes and were able to internalise what they learn far quicker.
This programme would target 70 schools within this financial year with just over 2 000 children catered for. This is up from previous years with nine schools targeted in the 2012/13 financial year and 22 in the last financial year.
“We are reaching just more than 2 000 children, but the reality is that there are many more who need these crucial interventions and we as government cannot do it alone. I applaud the principals and teachers who have come on board with this initiative and allowed us to engage with their learners,” said Little, adding that parents also needed to come on board.
A maximum of 30 learners per school would participate in the programme with a total of nine sessions taking place after the school day.
The schools participating in this year’s programme were all identified by the Social Development Committee and would stretch across the metropole, including Nyanga, Manenberg, Hanover Park, Grassy Park, Lavender Hill, Kraaifontein, and Nomzamo in Strand.
The programme formed part of a series of directorate-led substance abuse prevention projects targeting various sectors of society and complement the City’s overall strategy for the war on drugs.
Also included were projects such as the “Strengthening Families Project” and the “Be Smart, Don’t Start” dance-a-thons for youth.
ANA