#ThrowBackThursday: Pastor making progress against drugs
#ThrowBackThursday flashback: Pastor van Schalkwyk and his anti-drug team have succeeded in getting two women off the streets.
Earlier today, the Herald caught up with Pastor Edward van Schalkwyk, to follow up on his team’s fight against drugs for this week’s #ThrowBackThursday feature.
In April this year, the Herald reported on Pastor Edward from Turn to Eternal Life Bible Ministries and Suné Schutte, who have made it their mission to inform residents and communities of the dangers of drugs.
A lot of things have happened since April. They are still working at getting prostitutes off the streets and out of the Nigerian drug lords’ clutches, and have already succeeded in getting two women off the streets. These women are currently in hiding from the drug lords.
In February this year, Iain Batten joined them as one of their Directors, and together the three have gone to several bike rallies, where they put up their drug awareness tent, and educate and illustrate what happens to you when you abuse drugs.
On Youth Day, they went to Toekomsrus, which has a huge drug abuse problem, and addressed the youth. In Krugersdorp, they addressed a number of high schools, where Batten also gave them information on cancer, as he is a cancer survivor.
They are now in the process of becoming official mediators in first offence drug cases.
They believe in helping the families and victims of drug abuse. They have set conditions for their mediation outside court – the abuser has to go to a rehabilitation centre for six months, has to receive counselling and has to do a 28-week after-care programme. The drug abuser will also be tested for drugs on a regular basis.
On 19 August, they will be hosting a drug run, where the community is invited to ride for the fight against drugs. The venue will be announced in due course. There will be prizes, games for children, testimonies of drug abusers and much more.
The team is reaching out, and making a difference in the community and the lives of people that have been broken by drugs. They have no funding, and would like to ask the community to reach out to them with any help.
For more information, please contact Pastor van Schalkwyk on 079 127 9054 or Suné Schutte on 079 774 6208.
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