Let’s Save Us, Say No to Drugs. Be the Change, Build Resilience
Bhutan | Y-VIA | 2023
Kuzu zangpo la!
We are Young Volunteers in Action (Y-VIA), the largest youth network in Bhutan. We are an empowered group of more than 7,000 youth who love to do community service!
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15 - 25 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
Just like the other major towns in Bhutan, Gelephu faces high substance abuse cases among the youth. These are caused by easy access to controlled pharmaceutical drugs from a bordering Indian town and peer pressure. Youth are unable to cope with stressful situations, leading them to enjoy the short-term pleasure that narcotics bring. However, these lead to long-term and harmful consequences.
What did we do?
We started among ourselves and conducted a one-day workshop on substance use disorder to our fellow Y-VIA members and volunteers from New Life Recovering Group. Armed with more skills and knowledge, we then traveled to the Samtenling Community to conduct different group activities and workshops on substance abuse, lifestyle balance and self-care. These sessions also tackled resilience and identifying habits to build it.
To engage the younger children, we organized Futsal games and dancing and singing sessions aligned with spreading awareness on the harmful effects of substance use disorder. Students from Gelephu Middle Secondary School wrote letters to their future selves, committing to living a healthy life when they became adults. They also participated in a poster making competition, where prizes were handed out to the winners.
Campaign Impact
Within four months, children, youth, and even adults in Gelephu gained greater awareness and understanding of substance use disorder. We helped change perceptions of addiction and why it is considered a disease. As a result, one of our participants was able to refer two youths from his village to a rehabilitation center in India.
A number of organizations recognized our cause and became active participants as well. We had the Gelephu RBP Narcotics Drug Law Enforcement Officer in Command as one of the guests during our Futsal games. Clinical counselors from the Gelephu Central Regional Referral Hospital Psychiatric Unit and peer counselors from the PEMA Centre were also in attendance during our workshops. Their presence during our events shows the importance of community involvement in addressing substance use disorder.
Impact in Numbers
170 children attendees
More than 100 youth workshop attendees
5,058 people reached on Facebook
Words from Y-VIA
"I WILL EDUCATE MY FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURS ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION AND HOW TO DEVELOP GOOD HABITS."
Yamuna Dulal
"BEING THE CORE MEMBER OF THIS PROJECT WAS AN ENRICHING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. I WAS ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE MY SKILLS WHILE LEARNING FROM OTHERS AT THE SAME TIME. I AM HONORED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROJECT."
Damchen Chodren Namgyel
Y-VIA Shifter
