Say no to drugs, and yes to life
Two local experts have come up with the initiative of hosting drug-awareness campaigns in effort to raise funds to help addicts.
According to two local experts, South Africa is one of the leading drug-abusing countries in the world. And what’s even more frightening is the prevalence of drug use in Krugersdorp alone.
These experts are Pastors Edward van Schalkwyk and Iain Batten, who are also the founders of TteL (Turn to Eternal Life) Ministries, a registered non-profit organisation.
Together they have come up with the initiative of hosting drug-awareness campaigns in effort to raise funds to help addicts on the streets to a better and healthier life.
They explained that they would head to the streets of Krugersdorp once a week in search of someone who might need some saving.
“When we identify addicts, we approach them, week after week. Through this we build relationships with them and after a while we can pray with them. We do this until they tell us that they don’t want to live the drug life any more,” Edward explained.
The funds accumulated by the campaigns go to a rehabilitation centre which rehabilitates the addict for a minimum of six months.
Thus far they have managed to get nine addicts into rehab to change their lives for the better. This costs the organisation approximately R5 000 per person and about R30 000 per month in total. This is excluding clothes and toiletries.
“We know it’s a lot of money, but someone’s got to step in and care for them. Drugs are not the problem. It’s the things that are hurting us which are the problem, because we have no-one to talk to,” Edward said.
This awareness campaign also involves visiting businesses and schools to inform everyone about the dangers of drug abuse, including an in-depth explanation of how they work and what they look like, among many other things.
“We are called for the lost and the lonely. There’s no one as lost as a Satanist, and there’s no one as lonely as a prostitute,” they concluded.
Their most recent campaign was held at Bonanza Spar in Krugersdorp North where they made many people aware of this dangers of addiction.
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