RECOVERING drug addicts are set to benefit from vocational and life skills training following a new partnership between the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) and the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA).
The two government institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday in Dar es Salaam aimed at equipping former drug users with practical skills that will enable them to earn a living, reintegrate into society and avoid relapsing into drug abuse.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said the authority has continued implementing various strategies to combat drug abuse and trafficking, including public awareness campaigns, treatment services and rehabilitation programmes for people affected by drug addiction.
“The partnership with VETA is a result of recognising the importance of empowering recovering drug addicts with employable skills and opportunities for self-employment. It is also a good example of how government institutions can collaborate to address social challenges for the benefit of the nation,” said Lyimo.
He noted that many recovering addicts relapse into drug use due to a lack of productive activities and income-generating opportunities. Through vocational training, beneficiaries will acquire skills that will help them rebuild their lives and become economically independent.
Lyimo further revealed that graduates of the programme will receive starter toolkits based on the skills acquired and will be linked to microfinance institutions to access capital for establishing small businesses and other economic ventures.
The Commissioner General said the initiative is also aligned with the government’s ongoing construction of a major rehabilitation and training centre in Dodoma, where recovering addicts deemed fit for learning will receive vocational training under the VETA system.
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Others will be enrolled in VETA centres across the country after undergoing assessment and rehabilitation through clinics, sober houses and referral hospitals.
To support the transition process, DCEA has established a specialised Social Welfare Recovery Response Unit tasked with monitoring beneficiaries, linking them to communities, facilitating access to entrepreneurship opportunities and supervising the utilisation of loans and startup capital.
Mr Lyimo commended the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan for strengthening institutional collaboration and supporting efforts aimed at ensuring recovering addicts regain their dignity through education, skills development and employment opportunities. On his part,
VETA Director General Anthony Kasore said the agreement formalises ongoing efforts to train recovering addicts and expands opportunities for all eligible beneficiaries to access vocational education.
“We believe the skills they acquire will enable them to become self-employed, secure jobs or even create employment opportunities for others. Through certification, they will also be able to access government and financial institution loans needed to start businesses and improve their livelihoods,” Kasore said.
He added that investing in skills development is critical to empowering young people and accelerating national economic growth. Kasore also called on parents, guardians and the wider community to support efforts aimed at preventing drug abuse and encouraging young people to pursue vocational training as a pathway to productive and sustainable livelihoods.