By Ndatenda Njanike
Kuimba Shiri, a bird sanctuary located on the shore of Lake Chivero, has teamed up with a newly formed organization, Drug-Free Zimbabwe, in an initiative to fight drug abuse through environmental protection strategies.
Kuimba Shiri Director Gary Stafford shared the initiative during a journalist tour of Harare Ramsar sites and ecologically sensitive areas hosted by Birdlife Zimbabwe in partnership with the Harare Wetlands Trust on the 1st of October 2024.
According to Stafford, the initiative seeks to impact youths with new skills as well as create a healthy environment for all.
“’We want to create healthy environment where people don’t have to suffer from drug abuse and they can come out and get new skills.”
We need to be able to make it holistic. So young people. Yeah. And have, you know, the open door aspect.So we try to work with that organization (Drug-Free Zimbabwe) as well in bringing youth out to encourage them, to help them. And they’re Zimbos; we need to do that, but we mustn’t be arrogant and say, ah, you know, we are just protecting the environment.
‘We need to be able to make it holistic. So young people can make use of our open door policy’
Jean Betrand – Mhandu, Earth Day Regional Director echoed sentiments highlighting how government support would be critical in the proposed initiative.
“Government can promote such events or such programs or put in resources. Through our platform, we have an organization that’s just reached out to us .”