'Bishop', a former drug addict on the cost of drug abuse on his life.

Amidst growing concerns over substance abuse among young Rwandans, there are a number of successful rehabilitation stories of young people who now have a new lease of life after years of drug abuse.

He goes by the stage name ‘BISHOP’ and is an upcoming Hip-hop artist in Rwanda. As he spits his rhymes, 25-year-old Janvier Hitayezu knows only too well the cost of drug abuse on his dreams and ambitions.

Hitayezu began abusing drugs at the tender age of 11.

"At a tender age, I separated with my parents and family and went to live in the streets and because of the kind of life I was living and the company I kept, I started using drugs. I started this vice when I was 11 years old and I was a drug addict for 9 years," Hitayezu said. 

In addition to drug problems, Hitayezu found himself entangled in more than he bargained for.

"When I was abusing the drugs, my life was terrible. I started involving myself in other vices that I didn’t have before like stealing and fighting. You see, drug abuse is expensive and it requires that you have money to sustain the habit, which pushes you to steal. You can also get the strange disease because when you are high on drugs you have no control and you can easily sleep around without protection," he explains. 

After several failed attempts to stop the habit, Janvier was taken to the Iwawa Rehabilitation Centre, a place he says was very important on his recovery journey.

"IWAWA Rehab Centre is a very good place for anyone who has abused drugs, because when you are there, there is absolutely no access to drugs and for a whole year you have to sit and think about your life," Hitatezu said, adding, "Now, there are some, especially those that used hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, who would get severe withdrawal symptoms. At Iwawa, they get psychological help as well as medical attention, mostly medicine to reduce the withdrawal symptoms which come as a result of not using the drugs". 

 Hope Ethiopia-Rwanda is one of the institutions that also play a crucial role in the rehabilitation journey of many Rwandan youth who are trapped in substance abuse. According to Emmanuel Sagahutu who works with this institution, accepting and understanding drug abusers is the first step in the journey to recovery.

Sagahutu said, "Drug abuse is real and our youth are involved. But for them to recover, we need to show them that we value and love them and give them a chance to express themselves. That’s the first step to recovery, because many of them have a lot that is locked up on the inside and they have no one to tell. So before helping them, first, listen to them and understand them,"

Janvier Hatayezu has not only recovered, but he has made up his mind to go back to secondary school and make up for lost time.

"I am going back to school because I know what I want out of life. I want to make up for the time I lost while doing drugs. I want to clean up my name. I also want a good future and where I can build my country," Hitayezu added.

Statistics show that drugs such as Cannabis, Marijuana and a local brew commonly known as Kanyanga are among the most consumed illegal substances in the country.

However, with the help of rehabilitation centers, the youth now have a new lease of life and can channel their energy into the country’s development.

By Fatima Tesi