Recovering drug user starts a rehabilitative centre in Thembisa to help others
When Thato was discharged from rehab, he established the Tembisa Drug Rehabilitation Movement with the help of his mother.
Thato Matome started the Tembisa Drug Rehabilitation Movement to help drug addicts in his community.
He created the shelter after his own stint in rehab in 2020.
He wanted to assist addicts get the help they needed and offer them support to live a drug-free life.
Thato said he found himself taking drugs because of the company he kept.
“One touch of drugs opened another part of me that I never knew. It was a side that needed a fix to get by.”
He later decided to take the step and get clean.
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“My family never knew I was taking drugs until I opened up to them and told them that I was going to get help.”
When Thato was discharged from rehab, he established the Tembisa Drug Rehabilitation Movement with the help of his mother.
The duo would host sessions at their home garage to help addicts.
The sessions united addicts and gave them a platform to share their experiences. Sessions also aimed to provide addicts with courage for their journey to sobriety.
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While the movement did not have the facilities needed to host addicts while they received treatment, it did attract the attention of a rehabilitation center in Pretoria.
The Pretoria facility takes in addicts from the Tembisa Drug Rehabilitation Movement who have completed sessions with Thato.
Thato said his goal is to give hope to the community.
“We are building leaders of tomorrow. It might take time, but with God and endurance, we believe everything will go according to the plan.
“Right now I am proud of the progress we have made. We have restored hope to many addicts around Thembisa, which is a testimonial to me.
“When I started this journey, Facebook was the tool I used to spread the message, and from there, everyone trusted me with their lives. If I quit I will be letting down my community,” Thato said.
“At the time I was using drugs, I saw my life crumbling, and I relied on drugs to pick me up again. As time went by, things got to the point where I nearly lost my job. I accepted that I needed help.
“I motivated myself, which is why I believe in myself in any situation. Today, my story and experiences are changing lives, and I thank God and my family for their support and strength,” he said.
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Evelyn Matome, Thato’s mother, said she never knew her son was on drugs until he opened up to her.
“Thato never showed any signs of drug use around me. He used to be the same person he is today. I was shocked when he told me that he was using drugs and he had decided to get help for his addiction.
“I never showed emotion at that time, but I was happy that he managed to learn from his mistakes, open up to us as a family and accept help.
“When he came back, he shared his idea of wanting to start a shelter to help other addicts and from there we started working together without sponsors.
“I am happy we run a shelter with the same goal, which is to see other addicts receive help without being judged.”
The Tembisa Drug Rehabilitation Movement hosts sessions every Tuesday where addicts are taught about acceptance, forgiveness and eagerness.
Most expenses are covered by Thato and his mother’s pension fund.
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“Our five-year plan is to build a rehabilitation centre in Thembisa, which will be accessible to everyone and allow us to cater to more people at once.
“The dream is to have a centre that is run by recovering drug addicts.
“We see ourselves collaborating with agencies to help create employment opportunities for recovering addicts so they can take care of their families,” said Thato.
