As a leading organisation combatting drugs consumption and alcohol abuse globally, the WFAD works in 60 countries. At every level, the WFAD
collaborates with organisations, institutions, and individuals around the world which are campaigning to achieve a society free from the nonmedical use of narcotic drugs.

WFAD aims to work towards a “drug-free” world and its members believe that illicit drug use is threatening the existence of stable families,
communities, and government institutions throughout the world. The path to achieving this goal is long and beset by problems, which is why unrelenting efforts to gradually reduce drug abuse step by step are so important. Besides this, the WFAD considers much has been achieved
countries to prevent the problem of non-medical use of narcotic drugs, but much more can be done in the future to prevent young people from experimenting with illegal drugs and thus exposing themselves to the risk of becoming addicted.

Study Visit to Kinshasa

These unrelenting efforts to support countries, institutions, and organisations brought the WFAD delegation from Sweden, led by
Regina Mattsson, the Secretary General, to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The delegation met with national, provincial, and municipal authorities to discuss future collaboration between our organisation
and the country. Together with the Swedish Embassy, the delegation made a field visit to one of the municipalities of the capital Kinshasa,
also named Kinshasa, to get indepth realities to better support the country’s efforts to tackle drug consumption and alcohol abuse.
Thus, materialising the promise made to the Congolese authorities while visiting Kinshasa, the World Federation Against Drugs decided
to open a representative office in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The office has been in function since October 2020 after obtaining official registration and legal authorisations to implement activities obtained from the DRC government and all other public services.

Introducing the DRC Team

The DRC office is headed by Mr Dandy Yela from the DRC as the WFAD-DRC Country Representative and Mrs Sarah Bitamazire as the WFAD-DRC Deputy to the Country Representative.

The WFAD-DRC team is composed of Mr Josué Tschichibandji as the Programme Officer ; Mr Bonheur Ebala as the Finances and Administration Officer ; Mrs Elioth Betetshi as the Programme Field Coordinator, Mr Kams Kayembe as the Logistics Assistant ; and Mrs Madeleine Matayo as the Receptionist & Hospitality Assistant.

The DRC office has been very active while setting up and launching, at the same time, the project ‘Sober Youth-Healthier Communities Transforming the Violent Youth in Kinshasa’ with the implementing partners, Living Peace Institute, InterActions DRC, Synerige des Femmes and Dynamic Actions for Solidarity.

The Country and Deputy Country Representatives, Dandy Yela and Sarah Bitamazire are getting in contact with officials at all levels and have already met with the DRC officials to introduce the organisation and present the three-year project funded by the Swedish Cooperation. They met with the Governor of the City of Kinshasa, Mr Gentiny NGOBILA and the National Ministry of Social Affairs, Mrs Rose BOYATA MONKAJU.

The WFAD-DRC is a young and dynamic office which intends to position the World Federation Against Drugs as a key stakeholder in the fight against drug addiction and alcohol abuse. The office plans to support the DRC institutions’ efforts to tackle drugs and alcohol issues in the country. The WFAD, through the DRC Office, also intends to ignite a strong dynamic within the civil society to promote the thematic with regards to illicit drugs and consumption and alcohol abuse. Drug consumption and alcohol abuse are getting trivial in Kinshasa and the country and it is more than crucial to start developing and implementing effective prevention policies to put into practice since ‘prevention is better than cure’.

The WFAD believes that it is important to identify and promote good examples of policies and programmes that are efficient and make a difference to reduce drug abuse. Every day of the year, in all corners of the world, people do important work to prevent drug abuse. It is important for those involved to get toknow each other, exchange experiences, and establish networks across borders and between continents.

Launch of the Three-Year
Project ‘Sober Youth-Healthier
Communities: Transforming the
Violent Youth in Kinshasa’

To be recalled is that the WFAD DRC office opened up while launching the three-year project funded by the Swedish Cooperation at the
same time.The three-year project builds on the experiences of member organisations in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. It is a joint implementation between the WFAD and four partners, Living Peace Institute (LPI), Dynamic Actions for Solidarity and
Development (DASOD), Inter-Actions, Synergies des Femmes (SYFES), and World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD).

The project aims to support young persons to leave and prevent others from joining the violent street gangs of Kinshasa. Breaking
cycles of violence should include appropriate psychosocial support strategies, including the reinforcement and restoration of family relations and social support mechanism at community and society levels to support social inclusion and reintegration. Thus, this
project focuses particularly on mental health and support services while including parental support groups. Whilst offering recovery
support and a socio-economic reintegration component to facilitate hope, reintegration, and sustainability of change among participants. The project follows the young person from onset support in leaving the violent gangs, including psychosocial support on an individual, family, community, and institutional levels to reintegration.

The project offers a holistic approach, following the youth by providing appropriate psychosocial support, increasing empowerment and vocational training, offering income generation activities, supporting reintegration through supporting parents, and creating awareness in communities and authorities. The project includes a clear gendered approach, as well as positive, sustainable, and environmental aspects, whilst contributing to broader Anti-Drug policy in the country