Zinto Marketing Group and Westsiders against Addiction have teamed up to launch a campaign using “edutainment” as a weapon to fight the problem of drug abuse in schools.
Called Dance against Abuse (DAD), the campaign was launched recently in Johannesburg. As the name suggests, the campaign uses dance to communicate anti-drug messages to learners. The dancers plan to tour schools to educate children about drug abuse.
Experts have expressed concern that drug abuse is endemic in South Africa’s schools where the age level of drug users has dropped from the teens to between nine and 10.
According to George Pappas, the founder and chief executive of Westsiders, it is estimated that 15% of South Africa’s population are dependent on some form of drug.
He said this translates to 7,5-million drug users, adding that the recent United Nations World Drug Report has named South Africa as one of the world’s drug capitals. Pappas said one in two schoolchildren admit to having experimented with drugs and alcohol.
Pappas started the organisation after his son became hooked on drugs. He said the boy started taking drugs at the age of 11 but that he became aware of his child’s addiction only when the young man was 20.
“I was shocked. I didn’t know anything about drugs then. My son confessed to using drugs and we immediately put him through rehabilitation programmes,” said Pappas. To wean his son off the habit was a monumental task that was worsened by the fact that he kept running away from rehabilitation centres. Altogether, he has been to eight centres across the country.
“But now I am glad that he has overcome the problem. He has been clean for 22 months, has found a job and is more focused,” said Pappas.
The main objective of the initiative is to empower other parents to be able to pick up the early signs of drug abuse in their children, said Pappas.
Michelle Combrinck, the chief executive of Zinto Marketing Group, said her company is well acquainted with school environments.
“We have been doing road shows for schools for 10 years and, having been a teacher myself for 10 years, I think we understand the sector pretty well. We have been hearing about drug abuse at schools and we feel the use of dance would yield better results because learners can relate to it very well,” she said.
Combrinck said the dancers would tap into various music and dance genres such as hip-hop, beat-boxing and break dance to appeal to the diverse taste of all learners.
She said that, apart from imparting serious messages, Zinto tries to identify and nurture talent among learners.
Combrinck said the campaign would pilot in Gauteng and, as more funding became available, would be expanded to other provinces. The campaign will culminate in a dance competition for all schools involved.
In addition to this, Westsiders has been visiting schools to offer advice on the risks associated with substance abuse. Pappas said Westsiders has chosen Allen Glen High School in Weltevreden Park, west of Gauteng, as a guinea pig for the campaign. The idea is to replicate the model at other schools.
Combrinck said they hope the campaign would reach most Gauteng schools within five years, adding that the group would work closely with the education department to identify schools experiencing high levels of drug abuse.
To give the campaign gravitas, the organisers have roped in the departments of health and social welfare, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Central Drug Authority.
For more information on the project contact George Pappas: 011 022-0521, [email protected] or www.westsiders.co.za