By
Ndumiso
Tshuma
Once
intended
as
venues
for
positive
youth
activities,
these
neglected
spaces
have
instead
become
hotspots
for
drug
use
and
illicit
sexual
activities.
At
a
recent
Bulawayo
City
Council
(BCC)
budget
proposal
meeting,
Sibongile
Dube,
a
resident,
highlighted
the
troubling
situation.
“Unfortunately,
these
hallways,
which
were
meant
for
youth
club
activities,
are
now
being
used
as
bedrooms.
We
are
witnessing
a
troubling
increase
in
teenage
pregnancies
and
drug
use
due
to
these
spaces
being
abandoned
and
unmonitored.
We
need
to
repurpose
these
buildings
with
more
youth-focused
activities
to
deter
drug
use,”
Dube
said.
Dube
also
noted
that
the
lack
of
youth
engagement
in
the
area
has
led
many
young
people
to
skip
school
and
gather
in
these
abandoned
sites.
“We
often
find
students,
some
in
uniform,
using
drugs
in
these
locations.
Despite
reporting
these
issues
to
the
city
council,
no
action
has
been
taken,”
Dube
added.
Ruth
Nyathi,
another
resident,
stressed
the
need
for
increased
youth
engagement.
“Our
youth
centres
are
not
utilised
as
they
should
be,
which
contributes
to
the
rising
drug
use.
We
need
programs
that
teach
practical
skills
and
life
skills
to
reduce
drug
consumption,”
Nyathi
said.
Lorraine
Phiri
noted
that
4
567
teenage
students
in
Zimbabwe
have
dropped
out
of
school
due
to
pregnancy.
“We
need
more
frequent
drug
awareness
campaigns
to
educate
the
youth
about
the
risks
of
early
pregnancies
and
drug
use,”
Phiri
emphasised.
In
response
to
these
concerns,
Nkosiyavuma
Sivela,
a
member
of
the
BCC
budget
team,
outlined
ongoing
efforts
to
address
the
issues.
“The
city
council
has
launched
the
PA
Education
Program,
in
collaboration
with
various
stakeholders
like
World
Vision,
to
raise
drug
awareness
and
address
early
teenage
pregnancies.
Those
participating
in
the
program
receive
support
from
these
organizations,”
Sivela
explained.
Sivela
also
mentioned
that
the
council
is
actively
working
on
improving
the
condition
of
abandoned
buildings.
“We
have
fenced
off
the
Thabiso
Youth
Centre
and
are
repainting
its
walls
as
part
of
our
renovation
plans.
Similar
efforts
will
be
applied
to
other
neglected
buildings,”
he
said.
“This
is
a
battle
fought
by
various
stakeholders
in
conjunction
with
the
city
council.
We
are
committed
to
transforming
these
abandoned
spaces
into
safe
environments
for
learning
and
personal
development,
thereby
reducing
drug-related
issues
and
teenage
pregnancies
in
the
community,”
Sivela
assured.