By Kamadi Amata
Drugs and substance used in Nairobi is slowly becoming a normal norm. Nearly every village has a drug pedler. This has led to majourity of the uses especialy the young persons to abstain from their normal duties. But the question about its readily availability has lefy many wondering about the role of the authorities. I cought up with a 21 year old Trevor Muhindi.
He is a former student at the Jomo Kenyatta University. He drop out due to drug abuse. “He does not regret the move”. Trevor is the Youth president at a CBO called Diplomats For Health In Resilient Community,DFHRC. He lives in Majengo Nairobi. He was raised up by his late grandmother. He does not see eye to eye with his father. The move he says torments him every day.
”Me first of all sijalelewa majengo na sijazaliwa majengo but my family from my father’s side wamelelewa majengo. From family issues na disputes za familia, nilidrop out of university. nilikuwa Kenyatta University, nilikuwa nastudy criminology na French.So i drop out of University in 2019 while I was in second year. I went to Majengo where life was not good at all. Things were tough, Said Muhindi.

He Further said that he was stranded and depressed. On top of that he is suffering from leukemia.
“So i saw we have different with my dad, Mum we were not in good terms. the only person I would look at is my late Grand mother. so I had no one! I have no hope! I droped out of university…I knew not my dad nor my mother. When I was looking for them our relationship was not good. That is when I decided to remained alone. That decision was hardly impacted by peer pressure. It was hell, it was hell my brother, the six feet tall young looking gentleman narrates.”
”Daily routine, bhang was like a medicine prescription from a doctor, morning, midmoning and in the evening. But Through Diplomats For Health In Resilient Community, DFHRC, they were good samaritan to me.”
Studies have shown that the earlier younger people begin to use drugs, the more vulnerable they become to both their short term and long-term harmful effects. Alcohol abuse is the commonest Abused while inhalants are the least, with different perceptions. Both alcohol and drug abuse are associated with various economic indicators and various mental disorders.
In Kenya the multifaceted associations and predictors of alcohol and drug abuse in a cross-sectional student population ranging from high school to college and university levels. In the process, the studies have contributed to global data on the subject.
Compared to Kenya, where it is reported to be at 42.8% in Kenyan college students; at 32.2% prevalence of lifetime smoking in Nairobi, the capital City of Kenya. In Kenya, lifetime prevalence rate of any substance use was found to be 69.8% among college students.
Randy Owen is the youth Ambassoder at the Diplomats For Health In Resilient Community, DFHRC. According to him, it is very difficult to judge someone who is using drugs. He says many youths have fall preys on drugs due to various reasons.
“You cn not judge someone for using drups. He or she uses it for a reason. You can not rush him or her to stop. You have to watch and listern. Other mistook it and use it because of stress, being left by someone they love or so many other factors. But idearly drups has negative impact on your health, said Owen.”

Muhindi urges the youths in the country never to give up. He also advice to never take anyone for granded.
“My moral lesson to the youths of kenya is never say never.Because when you say, you do not know what the next seconds hold for you”
Diplomats For Health In Resilient Community is an organization championing for mental wellbeing of young people by creating safe spaces to build ‘Resilient Minds,Resilient Youths’. https://dfhrc2039.page.tl/