The Child Wellbeing Centre is presently providing support for 25 boys, according to the Minister of Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya.
The centre operates in collaboration with Inspire Pacific, an NGO that has established a rehabilitation program in Namosi aimed at helping boys transition away from street life.
Ms Tabuya detailed the objectives of the pilot program, which focuses on changing the boys’ mind sets through counselling and fostering healthier social connections.
“Dealing with that counselling bit, but also dealing with what they call helping them to find a healthier circle of friends around them,” Ms Tabuya said.
“Where they have to leave their old sets of friends, and have new sets of friends that are positive. From there they will have the opportunity to be trained or educated, so there is a farm area as well where they can learn to farm or take up other vocational activities.
“And then the most important component, in my opinion, of this child wellbeing centre is reintegration back into their families.”
Ms Tabuya said the program also addressed substance abuse issues, with collaboration from St Giles Hospital and the Stress Management Board at CWM Hospital.
She acknowledged the need for a dedicated Child Drug Rehabilitation Centre that would focus on the clinical aspects of detoxification before the boys enter the rehabilitation program.
Proposals are being gathered from international drug rehabilitation centres to support this initiative, which will be submitted to the Cabinet after consultations with the Ministry of Health and potential donors.
“We do admit, yes, there is a crisis on drugs. We see increasing drug cases, where the police have said they make arrests every single day, which means it is out there in the community, and it is really a way for our people to cope with the stress that they deal with.
“But our message is that, that it is not a healthy way to cope with stress, as parents and guardians.”
