First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain has yesterday launched Expanding Horizons, a reintegration programme for recovering addicts. The programme was initiated by the National Drug Agency, in collaboration with John Keells Maldivian Resorts.
Speaking at the ceremony, the First Lady underlined the many challenges being faced in our country today, and said that addressing these issues remains a key element to our country’s progress. Noting the increasing number of youth getting engaged in substance abuse these days, the First Lady said that most youth get caught in the problem due to reasons such as low self-esteem, inability to manage and cope with stress, lack of assistance and love from family, and not having the knowhow of where to find assistance.
Stressing the importance of the recovery courses to be continuous as an on-going life, long process, First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain said that through such recovery processes, addicts develope strategies to deal with daily stress, and manage life.
The First Lady also mentioned the variety of problems faced by addicts in moving forward with their lives, and to maintain their recovery.
“For instance the stigma that’s attached to the addicts prevents them to successfully perform in the community. Advocacy and awareness within our community is required to fully reintegrate recovering addicts back into the community”, said the First Lady.
At the ceremony, the First Lady called on everyone to commit to bringing back recovering addicts in to the community, identify the root cause of addicts, find effective mechanisms to reduce the population of addicts and provide them proper rehabilitation treatment.
Expressing her gratitude to the National Drug Agency and the John Keells Maldivian Resorts for engineering such a project, the First Lady said that the training and employment opportunity provided by this resort is not a means of providing the work or pay, but more than that, it would help the individuals regain their status and dignity back in the society.
