Guinea Finds Hope With Drug-Free World
Sylla Faouly wanted to bring truth to Guinea and he found the tools with
Guinea is one of Africa’s poorest countries. Under three autocratic presidents since 1958, the nation’s poverty and corruption is exploited by drug traffickers, which has led to increased drug consumption.
Sylla Faouly, a Guinea business owner, observes, “The government of my country has no policy for drug awareness programs, so drugs are becoming widespread.” It was this lack of awareness and the desire to reduce drug use that sent Sylla searching for resources and led him to DFW as the solution.
Needing to first awaken the government to the issue, he met with the Minister of State at the President’s Office over Partnership. He then met the Minister Secretary to the Presidency in charge of Special Services for the Fight Against Drugs and Organized Crime. The DFW materials hit the right chord and Sylla was requested to file the Foundation’s plan of action so the Department could support him. He therefore established his own office with “Fondation pour un Monde Sans Drogue – Guinée” proudly painted on the wall. He gathered a dedicated team of professors, lawyers, doctors and businesspeople. They then began delivery, including at the King Hassan Moroccans School, where students were taught the importance of leading a drug-free life. They also hit the streets distributing booklets to the general population and will continue, determined in their mission to make Guinea drug-free and safe.
WE really WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Our DFW volunteers distribute The Truth About Drugs booklets to people in their area to stop drug abuse before it starts. Here is what some receiving the booklet had to say:
UNITED STATES
“Thank you for what you are doing. I had three friends die last year from opioids.”
“A very close family member died from opioid overdose. This is the type of education that is needed and I wish you great success in your endeavor.”
“I had to give up my dream to save my son who was on marijuana. Thank you for standing in the cold weather to fight for our children’s health. I admire the way you are going about this and you have inspired me to continue to fight for my son to stay drug free.”
GREECE
“Give me extra copies, I want to distribute these booklets in my school.”
“Here is my school’s number. You must come and deliver a lecture right away in my school!”
EL SALVADOR
“We have to know that it is very important for us to learn about this topic. It will help us realize the long- and short-term effects.”
“Thank you for bringing us this campaign. It will help us a lot, and with this we can do something about the expansion of drugs in our area.”
UNITED KINGDOM
“This is telling the truth. This happens to us.”
“Thank you for this. I didn’t realize cannabis would lead to other drugs and that it was so dangerous.”
“This is what our young people need to have put in their face. It is a reality that needs to be addressed.”
Due south of Paris, France, sits Clermont-Ferrand. Known for its International Short Film Festival, it is surrounded by hills which open up and give way to the Limagne plain in the east.
Though stunning with its Notre-Dame-du-Port Cathedral and its famous dormant Puy de Dôme volcano, Clermont-Ferrand is yet no exception to the drug epidemic. Take for example the 230 kilos of cannabis resin in Moroccan suitcases seized by police, or the two men arrested at the railway station with 1.5 kilos of cocaine in their stomachs.
To address this, the Clermont-Ferrand chapter of Drug-Free World (DFW) lets no week go by without pounding the pavement of their beloved city and nearby areas, providing The Truth About Drugs booklets to local shops, which then give them to customers. They also set up booths at markets and on busy streets for visitors to take materials. “Like a child at Christmas opening a long-desired present,” is how one Drug-Free World volunteer described the expression on the face of a teacher as they discovered the DFW Education Package at one such booth.
The team hones in on areas of high drug dealing, including the train station and the Saint-Jacques quarter, where the immigrant population is targeted by drug dealers.
Anyone can join DFW, as long as they have a passion to rid their region of drugs, as did one volunteer, a former alcoholic. After beating the addiction, he is now determined to prevent others from falling into the same trap. Nearly 70, he dedicatedly goes store to store and person to person, with booklets in hand.
The team hones in on zones of high drug dealing, including the train station and the Saint-Jacques quarter, where the immigrant population is targeted by drug dealers. All walks of life come their way—police officers looking for solutions, the mother with a heroin addict son whom she is determined to help, the everyday shopper and teens out for a “good time.” The team has distributed over 42,000 booklets with the help of more than 1,000 shops since 2017, and will continue creating a drug-free city by disseminating the truth.
FACTS
ALCOHOL ABUSE FACTS
It’s time to give people the truth about alcohol. Here are the facts.
30%
OF FATALITIES
from auto accidents are due to alcohol consumption
200
HEALTH PROBLEMS
worldwide, such as liver disease, cancers and injuries, are contributed to by alcohol use
4,700
TEEN DEATHS
a year in the U.S. from alcohol—more than from all illegal drugs, combined
80,000
DEATHS A YEAR
in the U.S. are due to alcohol-related causes
17 million
ADULTS
internationally are diagnosed with alcohol addiction
SAVE YOUNG LIVES
Support the Foundation for a Drug-Free World and help protect our youth and the future from the destructive effects of drugs. Your contributions enable us to make our educational materials available free of charge to schools, youth organizations and other groups and individuals. Your support helps empower people with the facts they need to live healthy, drug-free lives.
