‘My son is a drug addict, please assist’

Considered one of Zambia’s hottest actors and filmmakers Owas Mwape broke a social taboo by admitting that one among his younger sons has an dependancy to medication when he posted a current enchantment for recommendation on Fb.

The 52-year-old informed the BBC he needed to make use of his standing as a public determine to open the lid on Zambia’s drug issues and assist different dad and mom who concern the stigma of getting a toddler with substance abuse in a socially conservative nation.

“I’ve found most dad and mom cover such sort of issues, they’re hiding their kids,” stated Mwape, the daddy of 5 sons and one daughter.

“It’s on the market and on our doorsteps. We will’t run away from it. So long as you ship your kids to highschool, know that it may hit your family.”

The star of award-winning movies like Mwansa the Nice agreed to take a seat right down to do an in-depth interview with the BBC to debate the acute ache he feels as a guardian and the issue that has clearly shattered his household over the past 4 to 5 years.

Mayamiko, now 23, was a youngster when issues started to unravel.

First his dad observed that cash was lacking from his checking account – Mayamiko had hacked his telephone to steal about $3,000 (£2,300) over about two years. Then there was some petty thieving.

Initially it was not clear that he was utilizing the cash for medication, however issues got here to a head a couple of minutes earlier than he was because of write final-year college exams – and he ran away from house to dwell on the streets.

All of it clearly shocked and pained Mwape who couldn’t consider the boy he described as sparky and beneficiant may have gone down this path, saying his entire manner adjustments when he is on medication.

“It’s a really troublesome factor to be a father within the second that I’ve discovered myself in. It’s robust as a result of each youngster is particular and Maya is a kind of particular children as a result of he’s clever,” he says.

However he says you must forgive your kids to assist them, turning to an African proverb to precise himself: “Your youngster is like an axe, it would hammer you and also you choose it up and put it in your shoulder.”

Mayamiko is now again in contact together with his father, however it’s all the time on his phrases as he makes use of totally different telephone numbers, making it troublesome to contact him.

Nevertheless it has given his father hope that issues can change – although he realises that for any rehab to work, Mayamiko must need to change.

After we met for our interview, Mwape had managed to coax Mayamiko to come back alongside too. It was a frank dialog that at one stage become a shifting dialogue between father and son.

“Maya, if we discovered you’re employed to do and also you begin getting paid, are you going to work further exhausting?” Mwape requested him practically an hour into our session.

Mayamiko, whose speech was considerably incoherent and punctuated by lengthy pauses, admitted he would love some assist to alter his life-style and be capable of earn cash.

His dad adopted up with this query: “Are you promising us that you’ll keep away from medication?”

Mayamiko hesitated and stated: “Yeah.”

For his father it was a aid to listen to that he has aspirations – it’s one thing that he can construct on.

However probably the most irritating factor for Mwape is that his second-oldest son is rarely express about what medication he takes, how he will get maintain of them – and infrequently obfuscates when requested a query.

“If you’re making an attempt to talk to him, you possibly can inform that issues aren’t including up, in order that’s why for me I really want that kind of… intervention.”

When probed extra through the interview concerning the medication, Mayamiko stated he principally took “cheese” – a reference to marijuana – or “something”.

That’s the reason Mwape, who’s at the moment starring in standard Zambian cleaning soap opera Zuba that airs on DStv, took to Fb, as a result of he needed to learn about rehab centres which have confirmed examples of success – tales not extensively shared in a rustic the place drug dependancy is such a hush-hush affair.

There are a number of personal services in Zambia – however no publicly funded one – and he says some individuals have even reportedly despatched their kids to China.

“I couldn’t consider [it], there have been quite a lot of dad and mom who got here into my inbox with comparable issues,” he stated.

Mwape’s expertise has additionally influenced the movies his firm has not too long ago produced – with material thought of to be “un-Zambian”.

“Women 2 Women is about medication in boarding faculties,” he stated.

“I am not saying boarding faculties aren’t good, however I believe it is essential as dad and mom now that we put a eager eye to attempt to discover out what sort of colleges we’re sending our youngsters to, [which is] one among my best fears even with what sort of rehabilitation centre I ought to ship him [Mayamiko] to.”

His oldest son, Maxwell, has simply directed The Flask, a hard-hitting account of an alcoholic’s downward spiral into dependancy that can be launched subsequent month.

Researching all these initiatives has led Mwape to the door of Zambia’s Drug Enforcement Fee (DEC) – headed by Nason Banda, whom he praises for his enlightened management that favours interventions for kids quite than jail – which many dad and mom concern.

“Sending them to jail doesn’t assist as a result of there are nonetheless medication in there,” Mwape stated.

Based on Mr Banda, drug abuse in Zambia is worsening, with a number of the most abused medication being hashish, cocaine, heroin and over-the-counter medicines such because the cough syrup Benylin, which comprises codeine.

He informed the BBC there had been a 300% improve within the variety of individuals his organisation had attended to over the previous 10 years.

“Now that’s simply as DEC however we’ve got a number of different establishments that help with drug-dependent individuals, so that isn’t the complete reflection of the extent of the issue.”

The pinnacle of the nation’s anti-drug company stated the primary drivers of drug abuse had been damaged households plus the accessibility and affordability of medication.

Peer strain and the glamourising of drug tradition by adults had additionally contributed, he stated.

The DEC was dedicated to combating drug abuse by focusing on suppliers, shoppers and proceeds of the commerce, Mr Banda stated, including that he additionally needed the federal government to launch a devoted rehab centre if the cash was out there.

For Mwape, he hopes his openness about his son’s issues is not going to solely assist his circle of relatives however others too – and cease the nation residing in denial.

And whereas he admits the ache of a guardian by no means leaves, he feels he’ll succeed – and that Mayamiko will get clear.

“Typically, battles are by no means received by merely stepping into battle – battles are received by using technique and I do know that every one methods that I’ve employed are positively taking me to the correct place.”