Table 8 The problem of drug abuse/kwishora mu biyobyabwenge (Rwanda)
Description of the problem | Number of respondents |
They involve themselves in violence and there are those who stab one another (Bakora urugomo harimo nabateranaga ibyuma) | 2 |
Coming home drunk, quarrelling (agatongna) and you realized that the family is not tranquil ntumererwe neza) | 2 |
He/she changes in his/her talking style, walking style, it means that he/she shows another face (agaragaza indi sura) | 2 |
There used to be a time they left schools and you realized that they were no longer studying | 1 |
Falling down while walking and talking obscene (atukana) and also fighting | 1 |
He/she beats another person with no reason | 1 |
He/she can drink and then go to ‘gare’ (meeting place at the center of the Gihembe camp) and strip naked. | 1 |
He/she throws stones at a car yet he/she is not mad (umusazi) normally | 1 |
A person may be under influence of drugs and then rape a minor | 1 |
He/she is not afraid, is not obedient (ntiyubaha), and won’t be afraid of his/her leaders | 1 |
It leads some to become bandits (abarara) | 1 |
When the night falls it is not only the phone he/she can also snatch a handbag from you | 1 |
Perceived causes of the problem | Number of respondents |
Joblessness | 4 |
Poverty status | 2 |
The youth that completed school and don’t have jobs | 1 |
Thinking that they are refugees weighs on their minds (No gutekereza ko ari impunzi) | 1 |
A home that is marred by disputes (amakimbirane) | 1 |
People lost their parents thus are grieving (bagira intimba) and may have suicidal ideation, and then result into saying ‘let’s take it’ [drugs] | 1 |
There people are not registered as refugees | 1 |
There are those UNHCR takes (for resettlement) and others are left behind | 1 |
Effects on those with the problem and those close to them | Number of respondents |
There is no safety (mutekano) [in the camp/quartier] because they cannot sleep since others are fighting | 4 |
It causes insecurity in the camp. When a person has already taken drugs and there is no one to help him/her, you find that he/she can wound him/herself, commit suicide, there is an incomprehensible robbery and there is also imprisonment | 2 |
Fighting at home and it can lead to killing one another | 1 |
They [family members] don’t advise one another at home | 1 |
The poverty status that was in the family keeps increasing | 1 |
A person who takes them [drugs] if he/she was thinking about marriage, it (marriage) is already out of his/her mind | 1 |
A person who has a family he can no longer take care of it | 1 |
The consequences in the quartiers is to fight and cause insecurity | 1 |
They don’t continue with studies nor complete school, they go into the forest | 1 |
It destroys the whole family (Bisenya umuryango wose) | 1 |
There is not enough money for children to eat enough so they become malnourished and then suffer from kwashiorkor [severe malnutrition] (Abana barya ntibahage bakagira imirire mibi bakarwara bwaki) | 1 |
What do people currently do to address the problem | Number of respondents |
Counseling is provided (Hajyaho ubujyanama) | 2 |
Camp management organized meetings and told them about their (drugs) consequences | 1 |
Teachings from head of quartiers and chiefs of villages | 1 |
The camp management team come and arrest those who sell them and punish them | 1 |
It [actions to address the problem] is often done by the government of Rwanda and they also urge us to fight against them [drugs] | 1 |
Projects that came and helped our boys and girls and take them to study at Gahogo those who had dropped out of schools | 1 |
‘Inshuti z’ Umwali’ (Friends of young lady) they also came and helped girls and boys and gave them what to do instead of sitting idle | 1 |
Security organ from the village (umudugudu) to the top is always at hand, when information is shared on time, we quickly intervene [to address problems] | 1 |
What should be done about the problem if resources were available | Number of respondents |
Maybe if possible, all of them should find jobs | 2 |
If security is back they would go back home (country of origin) | 2 |
There is a good thing the government did of taking to a rehabilitation centre, but after 1 year they should not abandon them like this, they can find away to bring them together in vocations | 2 |
To sit in the family and talk about it | 3 |
People who are educated, especially the youth would find what to do (job) | 1 |
They can be well educated and organize regular counseling sessions (Bakwigishwa cyane, guhozaho ibiganiro bya buri gihe) | 1 |
Projects can help the youth and parents and give them support (Imishinga yafasha urubyiruko n’ ababyeyi bakabaha na support [Ubufasha/ inkunga]) | 1 |
People who don’t have what to (job) should be given vocations | 1 |
They can make the procedure of going to America easy | 1 |