Built on the theme of the meeting, “Youth Empowerment through Supportive Purpose Development and Fighting Addictions, Purpose Rwanda invited all the participants to acknowledge and embrace the fact that “The Road to Recovery Starts with Self”
Every Thursday, Purpose Rwanda conducts Addicts Anonymous (AA) meetings and counseling sessions from 9am to 11am. AA meetings provide solid platform where addicts suffering from same addictions meet and share experiences to one another and help each other to recover. As usual this Thursday (26th August, 2021), Purpose Rwanda held AA meeting for drug, alcohol and sex addiction patients.
Prior to AA meeting, Patients have a moment with Purpose Rwanda and they were counseled that “Transformation starts by Self”. Without your commitment to change none from outside or any other force can make you change other than yourself, this means you should honestly accept to change and recover.
Following the Covid-19 guidelines, this meeting was scaled down and attended by smaller number of addiction patients. They were further advised to make use of this opportunity and not take it for granted; that it’s an assignment and message to them to share with others back in their communities with similar problems.
It was affirmed to them that Purpose Rwanda trusts them and if all of us build a relationship of trust, recovery from addictions is made easier and possible, and therefore, becoming a Purposeful Agent of Transformation is ultimately possible: firstly to self transformation which is a significant pillar for National Development. Because the efforts and resources you committed to be addicted should be transformed towards meeting recovery needs, and help others to do the same: transformation starts with you.
Purpose Rwanda Fellow present shared with patients a word of encouragement with a Biblical quote as in Jeremiah 1:5 that: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations”. This was explained that everyone is created for a Purpose we are not here by accident; God knows us and loves us in every single day we pass through. “We have to love one another and serve others in fulfilling what we are created for” that serving the Lord does not mean to be a Pastor or Worship Leader but to do good to others.
Purpose Rwanda additionally, reminded the patients about the dangers of being addicted: Addictions lead to range of adverse psychological, physiological, and personal effects. The complications of addiction often depend on the type of the addiction. Sex addiction, for example, greatly increases the risk of sexual behaviors that could lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unwanted pregnancies but most sorrowful part is losing values among society and being labelled names. John T, (not a real name due to the need for anonymity) one of Purpose Rwanda beneficiaries testified: “I lost a job by how I look; drugs damaged my physical appearance and robbed me trust from society. It’s hard to get job even though I have changed after starting recovery journey”.
Let us get over our addictions and let it be to us a myth: As Purpose Rwanda, we are here to serve you but we need your involvement and commitment towards recovery.
Finally, all patients were given some space according to groups for AA meeting where everyone shared his/her difficulties and encouraged one another towards the journey of recovery.
