EU, UNODC support initiative to tackle drug abuse

@LatifatOpoola The Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) is partnering the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to commemorate the 2018 edition of its annual ‘Vision of the Child (VoTC)’ to raise drug prevention awareness amongst youth and vulnerable adults.

The event is to showcase 17 VoTC participants drawn from 17 schools in Lagos nominated for 2018 Edition. They will be required to make creative presentations and solutions on the project.

Participants are to begin with awareness programme, followed by submission and presentation of a literary piece – essay, story and poem before a live audience by June 2018. They will undergo series of training, networking and group pairing before their final presentation.

On Saturday June 15, the 17 VoTC researchers will participate in a live Painting Presentation in Lagos.

The VoTC exhibition will be opened formally later in June followed by a special event June 26, 2018 to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The yearly programme began in April 2012 and over 3,000 children with ages between 8 -16 years have benefited from VoTC since inception. T has also produced over 170 paintings and drawings by the student finalists, and these works are expected to be mounted in a permanent exhibition soon.

CYCDI said it is committed to promoting education, innovation and entrepreneurship in children, youth and women. One of its project, Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) won the United Nations SDG Awards in Bonn, Germany in March 2018 out of 740 organisations from 125 countries.