S.A.F.E for a better tomorrow

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Project VENDA, which has been working diligently to contain and manage substance abuse among children and teenagers, devoted the S.A.F.E (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Forum organised by Fourth Wave Foundation’s initiative - Project VENDA, to highlight on Team Youth this year. The three-day online engagement which concluded recently delved on the role of the youth in creating S.A.F.E. The forums are annually held in June, to commemorate The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is on June 26. 

With an array of distinguished people across different fields, the online engagement discussed various issues, challenges and solutions concerning substance abuse and the approaches that can be taken to ensure a healthy environment for children and teenagers. 

Speakers included Diana Joseph, co-founder, and director of the Fourth Wave Foundation; Dharav Shah, consultant psychiatrist, and national consultant at Alcohol and Drug Information Centre; Shane W Varcoe, executive director of Dalgarno Institute, Australia; Abhijeet Barse, co-founder and CEO at Slum Soccer, Krida Vikas Sanstha Nagpur, Maharashtra; Stephan Devassy, musician; Regina Mattson secretary-general, World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), Sweden and others. 

 The final day of the forum witnessed seven shortlisted social entrepreneurship ideas out of the 28 colleges that enrolled -- Govt. Model Engineering College, Govt Law College Ernakulam, Bharata Mata School of Social Work Thrikkakara, IIM Kozhikode, TKM College of Engineering, Mar Athanasius College, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Ernakulam -- presented before eminent personalities. 

The expert jury panel selected the three promising initiatives from students of Bharata Matha School of Social Work, Thrikkara, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery and Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, respectively. Unlike many NGOs, Project VENDA manages to achieve its goal by alternative pursuits. Rather than getting their ‘high’ from drug-fuelled substances, children and teenagers are exposed to a variety of activities which creatively influences their brain sans unhealthy side effects. 

The ‘high’ and ‘rush’ they get via arts, music, theatre and sports can also serve as a coping mechanism to their anxiety.  The importance of such alternative pursuits was largely discussed on the forum. “Channelising their energy into a different form is essential. Voluntary programmes, the VENDA cup, a football tournament which we have been conducting for the past three years are primary examples. Empowering the youth and allocating a community that can advocate for it is our primary goal. This year, the forum revolved around ‘Youth speaking for youth’. They ideate and provide models on how a safe environment can be created,” said a spokesperson with Team Project Venda.