'Going home' conjures up images of safety, warmth, comfort and belonging. Shelter from terrors known and unknown which are better left where they can do no harm; outside! In a normal home any advice given you, will always be for your benefit and safety. To protect you from harm. A good home always tries to protect its' members from harm. Home thus is a safe haven

Our Kenyan youth and thousands of adults are lost, or almost lost in the alcohol and drug culture with many almost beyond salvage. Our country is hurting; school unrest, including periodic mass deaths, rape attempted rape and wanton destruction of school property is now common place by youth under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Added to this festering mixture is the new deadly consequence from alcohol and drug use - HIV/AIDs. What then are we waiting for? It is long past our wake up call to do something about this downhill situation.

We need to go back to a gentler time, when drug use was barely known and alcohol had a time, a place and a reason. When who could drink was defined and excessive drinking was frowned on. A time when the youth could have fun without drinking and drugging. We need to leave these 'twin terrors' of drinking and drugging 'outside': we need to go home.

The name "goinghomedotcom" originates from the fact that I have 'gone home' to the kind of person I was before I started drinking alcohol. I was out in the cold, alcohol had thrown me out of my home, but am now back home. I want our youth to go home too. The 'dotcom' section of the name refers to the fact that the current young generation have been dubbed 'the dotcom generation' and they are my main target. Conversely I am using the Internet and the rapidly evolving digital electronic media the so called 'dotcom technology' in my awareness campaign. Why is goinghomedotcom spelt with a lowercase 'G'? It is not about us but you. We are here to serve, humbly. The campaign is not about me, but you. I awoke from my nightmare because somebody gave me their time and talked to me, and did not give up on me. I am merely giving others what I was given to use and pass on.

The Kenyan public do not seem to take the national disaster of alcohol and other drug use seriously. Alcohol especially is not seen as the dangerous drug it is. Drinking of copious amounts of beer and other alcoholic bevererages anytime, anywhere is seen as a benign social pastime.

'goinghomedotcom' is registered in the Republic of Kenya as a charitable trust and intends to create awareness throughout Kenya (as well as the rest of Africa) on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs and to get the Kenyan public to grab the ball with both hands as far as educating themselves is concerned. Knowledge as they say is power. We do not need large organisations and millions of shillings to do this. All we need is knowledge. Educate yourself and then your family about alcohol and other drugs and straight away the nation becomes aware. An aware nation, is an empowered nation Beware and be aware!

The 'goinghomedotcom Trust' intends to promote a new lifestyle among the Kenyan public and especially the youth namely, that getting 'high' or drunk is out; being sober is in! And it intends to do this by involving them at every level so that they see the danger, they see that there is no need to indulge and they realise the dangers in alcohol and other drugs.

The youth must see that with careless use of alcohol and other drugs they are also exposing themselves to HIV/AIDS infections and that this very real threat is destroying hundreds of young productive lives daily and that there must be a total attitude change which will then lead to behaviour change and only then will the knowledge learned be useful.

The "goinghomedotcom Trust" will also help those who are enmeshed in the sticky web of alcohol or other drug use to get all the information and advice on where exactly they stand with their alcohol and other drug use, where to go for help and what the alternatives are. All this in simple layman's terms and absolutely free on its website - www.goinghomedotcom.org. This will be available to anyone in Kenya and beyond making it an especially useful resource for the rural and school people, who can download, print and photocopy the information for mass and cheap distribution.

Thus the stated objectives of 'The goinghomedotcom Trust' are to create:

• recognition by the authorities and the public in Kenya of alcoholism as a disease and not a 'weakness', 'moral weakness', 'character defect' so as to fight the stigma, shame and prejudice attached to this disease thus enabling afflicted persons and their families to find it easier to seek treatment
• to bring out the massive correlation between alcohol and other drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. This fact that drug abuse and HIV/AIDS actually walk hand in hand is seldom stressed enough and goinghomedotcom intends through its campaign to get the Government of Kenya as well as Kenyans from all walks of life especially the youth to see that the soaring HIV/AIDS infection rates are directly proportional to drug abuse. Therefore existing policies to tackle HIV/AIDS must also incorporate drug abuse awareness as it relates to HIV/AIDS.
• enthusiasm among Kenyans to act with the great voice they have to affect policy change where existing policies encourage irresponsible use of alcoholic beverages among the youth and Kenyans at large,
• encourage media to promote responsible use of alcohol by being role models, being selective with the kind of advertisements they carry, and especially radio presenters (radio having a wider reach especially to youth) to be role models
• and encourage responsible media practices (from advertising to reporting) on alcohol and alcoholism by the next generation of journalists by starting or supporting existing school journalism clubs which have a strong alcohol and other drug use awareness component, specifically geared towards demand reduction,
• determination among Kenyans to get the law enforced in places where it is being flouted to the detriment of Kenyans as far as alcohol and drug abuse is concerned,
• a conducive atmosphere by helping families come out of denial and thus get alcoholics into treatment,
• urgent awareness among the Kenyan public on the extent of alcohol and other drug use in the country and the critical need for this issue to be tackled, with the production of all manner of Education, Information and Communication (IEC) materials inlcuding publishing of books, production of video tapes and DVD's, posters, pamphlets, etc
• change in lifestyle, thought and culture among youth to how they view alcohol and its use with a view to creating demand reduction
• high impact awareness among the youth and public at large on the dangers of alcohol and drug use. This will be done using all media i.e. electronic, print, drama, puppetry, music, and roadshows,
• awareness on the dangers of tobacco products and their use especially by the youth,
• awareness on the dangers of passive smoking also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS),
• and to lobby for policy change by the government with the aim of restricting tobacco use and marketing,
• design and host through the boundless media of the world wide web, highly subsidised or fully sponsored websites for individuals, organisations, NGOs or institutions dealing with alcohol and drug abuse awareness campaigns with an objective of demand reduction,
• encourage a reading culture among the youth as a positive and alternative way of spending leisure time as opposed to activities which revolve around alcohol and tobacco (other drugs) use. This will be done by setting up libraries especially targetting children from disadvantaged communties
• using the limitless opportunities offered through the media of the world wide web, highly subsidised or fully sponsored websites for those who promote the reading culture or promote use of the book and related book use activities,
• life support for the alcoholics and addicts in the form of information, social work and introduction to alternative forms of leisure,
• help recreate an alcohol/drug free lifestyle especially among the youth right from primary school by directly involving them in demand reduction programmes,
• knowledge and understanding among the youth right from early primary school on the total waste of time, money and health that is cigarettes and other tobacco related products so that they see there is absolutely no need to ever smoke cigarettes or use tobacco related products
• awareness on the dangers of 'Passive Smoking' or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and
• understanding for the urgent need to effect more stringent policy to restrict completely the use of tobacco in public buildings, schools, restaurants, Public Service Vehicles (PSV's) and other places where Kenyan's congregate to play and work
• conduct surveys in primary, secondary schools and other institutions of learning to try and get various statistics/profiles to be used among other things in creating a more effective campaign against alcohol and other drug abuse,
• start clubs in schools and among the disadvantaged where they learn about alcohol and other drugs and then pass on the message to their peers and finally,
• workshops where members of the public can be informed on the disease alcoholism and how it affects them and the society

As a recovering alcoholic who wasted years and a lot of money, trying to find where to get help, trying to get someone to explain in a simple down to earth manner, the problem and the options, I want to spare others and their loved ones that same agony. I still see the same things happening to alcoholics as they are bumped from one point to another, while arguments rage over what kind of treatment works or doesn't work. Others are merely unscrupulous opportunists who view alcoholics and their misery as an opportunity to make money, charging all kinds of 'fees' while offering no tangible help.

The time has come to end this exploitation of families who have suffered through hell and back and their loved ones. The time has come to tell Kenyans that help is available and that HOPE is not lost. It is possible to come through alcohol and other drug addiction

The goinghomedotcom Trust will strive to cut through all the myths, fallacies, quackery and outright exploitation of victims and their families by those taking advantage of their pain and desperation. THE TIME TO STOP SUFFERING IS NOW!

I thus feel my vision for 'The goinghomedotcom Trust' has come at the optimum time. But in order for it to change from a dream to a reality, you must share my vision and help turn it into reality - allow us to take our youth home - home to a gentler time. Together we can do it.

David Ogot Snr.
4th May 2001.

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