Silkworth Recovery and Care Centre is a non-profit rehabilitation centre for substance abuse in Primrose. Since partnering with Ekurhuleni Social Development a few years ago, it extended its services to the Dukathole informal settlement in Germiston.

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This centre offers people from all walks of life a recovery programme for alcohol and drug rehabilitation.

Over the years, the centre has helped dozens of people recover from the addiction of drugs or alcohol. Pinky Makhaka, a drug and alcohol recovery addict, shares her story with the organisation since she has started working with them.

“My introduction to drugs was when I was 13. It started with alcohol, insecurities of wanting to be accepted and wanting to escape the trauma of abuse, which I was a victim of since I was eight years.

“After my matric, I couldn’t continue with school. Being an addict affected huge areas of my life. At one point, I would wait for everyone to leave the house and start an auction selling everything I could think of.

“At that point, all I was thinking of was my next quick fix. My parents got fed up with me and I ended up living in the streets.

“I lived in the streets for 10 months, doing what other kids were doing to survive until someone came and offered me help,” she said.

“At that time, I did not see my life without drugs. I went to a rehab centre for six months and soon after that I joined Silkworth Recovery and Care Centre.”

Pinky is one of the first members to join the centre when it first opened its doors to the public in Primrose.

“I have been clean for nine years clean. Last year, we celebrated a group of 36 people who were celebrating a year of being sober,” she explained.

Counsellors who have personally walked the road to recovery from active substance abuse can identify with the challenges faced by the addicts, as well as providing proof that a new way of life can be achieved in sobriety.

“Our director has been clean for 16 years,” she added and urged people who are suffering from drug abuse to visit the centre for help.

“My addiction led me to using other drugs like cocaine. I hear people say cocaine makes you smart, well at first.

“There is more an addict goes through psychologically that people would not understand. There is a voices inside our heads that we sometimes talk to, so please go get help,” she added, urging drug users to go knock on doors for professional help.

While the organisation focuses on providing help to people who are in need, Lwazi Zungu now dedicates his life to helping those in need. Zungu is a recovery drug addict. He recently joined Silkworth Recovery and Care Centre for the second time after he had a relapse.

He says he had previously managed to beat his habits and successfully started a new life free of drugs, but he couldn’t stay there for long.

“I was a successful businessman. I was even going to take my business to greater heights because the soap industry is so profitable,” said Zungu.

“My problem was that when I started to make money, I relapsed. I thought the support groups/meetings and church were of no use anymore. I stepped out of my tracks and fell right back to my old circles, which led to a relapse,” said Zungu.

By the time of this interview, Zungu was three months and two weeks clean and working towards freeing more young people from the suckles of drugs.

“I was in Grade Eight and 14 years old when I started with alcohol. I wanted to be part of the cool kids. I started stealing, being violent, and mentally and physically, I was not okay.

“I remember when I was in varsity, I got arrested in the morning. You get to be caught in situations, which you are not meant to be in.

“The relapse hit much differently. It’s actually much harder to deal with compared to the actual addiction. I am working on something that will help curb the number of people getting involved with drugs,” said Zungu.

The centre offers counselling, rehabilitation, school programmes, awareness campaigns, support groups and youth programmes.

Silkworth Recovery and Care Centre will be holding its AGM (previously postponed due to Covid-19) at 10:00 at Primrose Methodist Church Hall. Send your details at keshan@silkworth.co.za / amy@silkworth.co.za with full names and surname, email address and contact number. All Covid-19 protocols will be strictly adhered to. The meeting will be on February 15. For more details, contact 063 104 1147 or help@silkworth.co.za