As concerns over substance abuse continue to pose a major social and public health challenge in Meghalaya and across the country, social organisations on Tuesday stressed that rehabilitation must extend beyond treatment to include sustained community support, livelihood opportunities and social acceptance for people recovering from addiction. The call came during a one-day conference on “Life Beyond De-addiction”, organised by Care for India’s Reintegration Project in partnership with DREAM Mission at the DREAM Mission office in Lachaumiere, bringing together organisations working in the field of rehabilitation and social reintegration.
The conference focused on enabling individuals recovering from drug addiction to rebuild productive, dignified and meaningful lives through education, employment and community participation. Fifteen leading NGOs engaged in rehabilitation participated in the event, which sought to strengthen collaboration among civil society organisations and government agencies to create sustainable reintegration pathways for recovered individuals.
Head of the Social Work Department at Care for India Charitable Trust, Bob Jacob, said the organisation has been working across North India and the North East on social development initiatives. In Meghalaya, he said, the organisation is implementing a Reintegration Project in Shillong that supports people recovering from drug addiction by equipping them with livelihood skills, providing seed capital to start businesses and helping restore their dignity. He added that Care for India is also implementing a rural development project in Barapani with a special focus on women’s economic empowerment and livelihood development.
Highlighting the need for a collective response to the drug menace, Jacob said, “Drugs is a major concern for the government and the Civil societies, and I think We have to work together all the organization, the government department working together ensuring we love those who are caught up in this trap. And not isolate them, but rather take them closer to you. Offer your love, offers support and ensure that they are not taken away from the community, rather, the community takes them into and helps them come out of this trap.”
He said the government’s efforts to curb drug trafficking must be complemented by greater community participation. “And I think the government should government department working to break the supply chain of this drugs. That’s one part of big thing the government is doing, but the community we people we need to embrace these flaws and help them come out of it,” he said.
Jacob also underscored the contribution of rehabilitation organisations in helping individuals overcome addiction. “There are Organizations who are doing rehabilitation actually keeping them in their homes, or they have especially special places where they keep them, they Council them, the administered to them on a daily basis, helping them to realize that drug is not really helping anyone, and especially their own life, and that they introducing them scientifically as well as psychologically trying to win the battle against drug. And there are many organizations making every effort to help Meghalaya and its people to come out of the struggle that we have got into. And this is where we have joined hands with the civil societies and the government in helping bring deliverance or Escape from the trap of drugs,” he added.
