Donation of computers to help drug addicts in their rehabilitation process |27 July 2017

The Jj Spirit Foundation has donated 10 computers along with tables and chairs to the Dove Rehabilitation Centre (ex-YRTC) on Praslin.

The set of Lenovo computers will be used as additional tools in the rehabilitation programme to help drug addicts to acquire knowledge and skills through IT classes run from the support of youths from the Jj Spirit Foundation.

It was Praslin-based Jj Spirit youth leaders Tessy Poris and Mervin Vidot who presented the donation to the secretary of state for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Dr Patrick Herminie in a short ceremony held yesterday morning at the Jj Spirit Foundation headquarters, Espace Building.

The ceremony was run by Jj Spirit Foundation branch on Praslin which included songs played and sung by the youths from Praslin.

Present were the manager of the Dove Rehabilitation Centre Pastor Wallace Stravens, board members and staff of Jj Spirit Foundation, staff from the office of the secretary of state for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation, among other guests.

According to manager Stravens, the centre based at Amitié houses 28 drug addicts. For the time being their rehabilitation programme includes detoxification, counselling and afternoon work attachments at various private work organisations.

The rehabilitation programme goes from six to twelve months.

Commenting on the generous donation given to the centre, which has up to now provided a safe haven for drug addicts most in need, Jj Spirit Foundation board member from Praslin, Begguita Crispin, said in her opening statement that Jj Spirit Foundation wants to make a difference and will play a more vital role to help curb the social ills caused by drug abuse by providing assistance to the victims and their families.

“Today I can proudly say that the foundation is in its final stages in the preparation of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to be launched in October. The programme encompasses all stages of rehabilitation, from treatment to aftercare, from prison to reintegration into society and from support from crèche to ghetto and back to society,” she stated. 

Accepting the donation, Dr Herminie said he was very happy to learn that Jj Spirit Foundation is also engaged in the fight against drug abuse.

“We have to start realising that the fight against drug and drug abuse is not a fight only for the government and the government on its own will never be able to combat drugs. We need the support of NGOs and this is the reason we support and we love the support that we are getting from the Jj Spirit Foundation,” he said, noting that up to now only the Jj Spirit Foundation and Nouvobanq come forward to help with the rehabilitation programme.

Dr Heminie also said that masonry, carpentry and music therapy will very soon be added to the rehabilitation programme of the drug addict.

He thanked the Jj Spirit Foundation through its patron former President James Alix Michel and its women’s chair Lise Bastienne for quickly responding to the centre’s demand.

Manager Stravens has reassured that all equipment will be well taken care of and will be put to good use.

Meanwhile, the maintenance on the computers will be done by the Jj Spirit Foundation.

During the ceremony, a group of people working closely with drug abusers received their certificates after attending two weeks’ training on drug addiction counselling. The training was held at the Guy Morel Institute from May 16 to 26, 2017.  The participants came from the office of the secretary of state for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation, Mont Royal Centre, the Police, NDEA and the Ministry of Health. They were presented with their certificates by Dr Herminie.