Harare Community Get Behind a New Treatment Centre

Visit our Zimbabwe progress post

Time is running out, later this week I will be leaving Zim, however I will be back.

The long awaited presentation and launch of The Addiction and Recovery Trust 2015 (ART) and The First Step was last Thursday night to a packed out audience.  So many people present, such a big relief to know what we’re trying to achieve is supported by the people of Harare.

We’ve had offers of support for a range of areas including, interior design, admin, nutrition and from paramedics, nurses, alternative health therapists and even a freezer has been pledged.  We’re thrilled with the response, it’s a sound indictment that the vision of a residential treatment centre and an outreach outpatient programme are necessary and wanted.

We are now continuing our talks with the Ministry.  Looking to ensure we have the necessary permissions for travel and visas, to enable staff training and volunteering opportunities to be ongoing.  We are also looking at licensing requirements and a regulatory body to oversee and regulate addiction treatment delivery.

We are still hunting for a property, one has been identified as a potential, however we need to explore opportunities further out from Harare in the outlaying districts and countryside to ensure we have the best possible accommodation and location for our prospective residents and staff team.

We have visited services that are running mental health programmes, however none are addiction specific, looking detail at drug, alcohol, gambling, gaming, food issues etc.  The clear goal is to have a skilled trained staff team who are able to work with the arising issues and to be firmly part of the solution to the addiction crisis so endemic in Zim.

There is a strong fellowship in Harare offering NA, AA, Alanon and CoDA.  We want to grow that mutual aid to more remote areas and have staff and clients “giving back” by demonstrating recovery is not only possible, available and sustainable, it really does work and change lives positively.

The First Step has a big dream, a huge vision for the future of addiction treatment in Zim and Western Counselling are really proud to be part of this.

If you are also interested in be part of this innovative and exciting opportunity in Africa, please email me amanda@westerncounselling.com

Amanda