By Admire Bundu
In a bid to make a meaningful contribution to society and shape the future of young people by helping them live productive lives and abstain from drug abuse, especially kush, the Mental Watch Advocacy Network Sierra Leone on Monday, October 19, 2026, conducted a community outreach at the Bomeh dump site in Akram, eastern Freetown.
The outreach, which involved face-to-face engagement with people affected by kush use, was held under the theme, “Lef for Take Kush, Make You Life Useful.”
The initiative brought together volunteers, students undertaking internships with the organisation and medical personnel who provided free medical services to people at the dump site, particularly those affected by kush and other mental-health challenges.
Speaking during the outreach, Ibrahim H. Koroma, a lecturer and Acting Head of the Department of Social Work at Milton Margai Technical University and Founder and Executive Director of the Mental Watch Advocacy Network Sierra Leone, said the organisation has been involved in community-based advocacy on drug abuse and mental health for between 10 and 15 years.
Mr.Koroma said the organisation normally organises activities around World Mental Health Day in institutions and communities, but decided this time to take the intervention directly to people affected by mental health and drug-related challenges.
He said he first visited the Bomeh dump site on Saturday to conduct a situation analysis and community assessment, noting that many young people in the area, including school-going children, have been severely affected by kush.
“As a professional social worker, the only way that gives me passion is when I see how we can help society and young people who are affected by drugs,” Mr. Koroma said.
He explained that the outreach was also aimed at giving hope to people who may feel neglected by society because of their drug use and living conditions.
According to Mr.Koroma, the organisation provided free medical services during the outreach, with trained and qualified medical personnel attending to people suffering from wounds and other health-related conditions.
He said the services were provided as part of the organisation’s commitment to reaching vulnerable people who may not otherwise have access to basic medical care.
Mr.Koroma also called for a rights-based approach in addressing kush addiction, saying that although drug abuse is against the law, people affected by drug use still have fundamental human rights and deserve opportunities to recover and rebuild their lives.
He stressed the importance of the organisation’s message, “Support, Don’t Punish,” arguing that people affected by kush need support, rehabilitation and access to services rather than being punished repeatedly because of their addiction.
“If we are going to punish them, taking the drug alone is a crime against society. But they are victims who need help. We support, we don’t punish them twice,” he said.
However, Mr.Koroma said the organisation faces challenges in sustaining its community interventions due to a lack of adequate financial and logistical support.
He appealed to the Government, humanitarian organisations, individuals and other stakeholders to support the Mental Watch Advocacy Network so that it can expand its interventions to other communities affected by drug abuse.
He said additional support would enable the organisation to provide more free medical services and reach more young people and vulnerable groups across the country.
Mr. Koroma maintained that people affected by kush should not be regarded as forgotten members of society, saying the outreach was intended to remind them that they are still remembered and valued.
He therefore encouraged stakeholders to work together to restore hope among young people affected by drug abuse and help them return to productive lives in society.
