A recovery process
The official opening of the New Life Recovery Centre took place on July 20 in Brakpan, where a gathering of concerned community members met at the Siloam Church in Dalpark to celebrate the rehab centre, in hopes that it will help curb the drug problem in the East Rand.
The recovery centre is a community outreach programme which is focused on rehabilitating and providing constant support for people affected by addictions, from drug addiction to gambling and even shopping addictions.
“The addictions in our city are our biggest burden. South Africa has been named one of the drug capitals of the world,” said Bishop of the Siloam church, Michael Lazarus, adding that the rehab centre has been a dream of the church for years and that they are so grateful that they can finally get it up and running.
The New Life Centre runs a 12-month programme in which the mentors and facilitators guild and support the people in the programme in a Christ-based course that will help them change and rid them of the craving and temptation of their addiction.
“The programme if focused on the future, not on what happened in the past and there is huge emphasis on personal responsibility,” said Anita Naidoo, one of the many people in the church who made the centre a reality.
She added that at the centre, they aim at making a difference in the East Rand and that they want to be the catalyst for change in the community.
New Life, in partership with the REACH Programme, advises school staff and businesses to refer addicted teenagers and adults in the work place to the centre and not to cut those affected by addictions off.
“Addictions are on the rise in our community and we encourage all members of the community to come together against this, and other, terrible addictions,” said Pastor Ronnie Naidoo.
