All Africa.com|A losing candidate in a 2018 Bulawayo council election has turned his home into a drug rehabilitation centre in attempts to help local youth addicts deal with substance abuse.

Thulani Chauke lives in Gwabalanda high density suburb and was an election candidate in Ward 16.

He lost to an MDC candidate when he contested under Nkosana Moyo’s Alliance for People’s Agenda (APA).

Chauke has put his election loss behind and is now concentrating on helping his community deal with the scourge of drug addiction through his so-christened Hope Mental Trust.

“I formed this trust with only one thing in mind, things are tough nowadays. Things are changing too quick in this world which we are living in.

“There is high unemployment in our country and this leads to some educated but unemployed youths to end up involved in some anti-social behaviour of abusing drugs and alcohol,” Chauke said.

The Hope Mental Trust was formed three years ago.

“I am on a mission to expand this institution because I have come to discover that the drugs which the youth especially teenagers use, are so dangerous that they (youths) end up in hospital or even at Ingutsheni Mental Hospital,” he added.

The youth nowadays use various intoxications like BronCleer cough syrup, marijuana, Amethamine, Diazepam popularly known as mangemba, alcohol, among others.

Chauke pleaded with well-wishers in the corporate world and individuals to help him find a more suitable place for his rehabilitation centre so as to accommodate more drug addicts.

“Currently, I am operating at my house in Gwabalanda, which is not a safe place because they (drug addicts) may get back to those drugs as soon as leaving my place.

“So, I was calling for help to the general public to help in building a proper rehabilitation centre away from Gwabalanda that could even accommodate others who want help, a place where those that are rehabilitating can stay up to the end of their courses,” said Chauke.