The Athlone SAPS Youth Desk has started a games evening and will also be running hikes to help recovering drug addicts.
The activities are meant to keep the addicts busy and aid the recovery of their mental health, says Athlone police spokeswoman Sergeant Zita Norman.
The first games evening was held at the Athlone SAPS hall on Friday August 12. The games evenings are open to anyone – not just the recovering addicts – and members of the Youth Desk also join in.
The Youth Desk is an SAPS social crime prevention initiative.
“We go into the community and schools and we recruit pupils from Grade 6 and upwards to be part of the Youth Desk,” said Sergeant Norman. “During our discussions, we realised that there is nothing much happening for recovering drug addicts socially, and that is why we introduced the dominoes evening and the recovery hikes, as we call it.
“A lot of our young people have never been up Lion’s Head, for example. The hike is not only good physical exercise, but it also gives us a chance to experience nature’s beauty, and even to network with other people. People from all walks of life and different communities will join us on the hikes. Dominoes is not just a fun game, but it also stimulates the brain, and these are all activities that have a positive effect on our young people.”
Geordon Wagner, 15, said he had no regrets about joining the Youth Desk.
“We have a lot of fun at the games evenings. It is much better than being out on the streets. What I have realised is that I experienced more genuine love and care at the Youth Desk than I ever would out in the streets. Not only is it fun, but it also keeps me away from the negative influences.”
Sasha Leigh Abrahams, 12, joined the Youth Desk four months ago.
“Since I joined the Youth Desk, I am doing much better with my school work. It is a whole lot of fun to be part of Youth Desk because we have game nights and it keeps me off the streets,” she said.
Young people who would like to attend the games evenings or hikes, can check out the dates by following the Athlone SAPS Youth Desk on Facebook.