THE WALL OF HOPE

Throughout the years, BOSASNET has been receiving fewer women who use substances into the programme than men.

This may be due to many different reasons and challenges faced by women who use substances such as physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse, and the stigma surrounding women and substance use. In this year’s substance abuse awareness month (SAAM), our focus is on women using substances. We want to hold activities that will not only increase awareness but also shed light on the challenges faced by women with substance use disorders.

The “Wall of Hope” is one of the activities of our 2022 annual SAAM. In this activity, a big canvas has been displayed at Gaborone Bus rank and Main Mall one day a week, and women were given the opportunity to write on the canvas hurtful words, labels, and negative statements that they or someone they know have been subjected to by virtue of being a female who uses substances. The aim of this activity is to empower women and give them hope that they are not the labels that have been put on them, as well as giving them a voice and power over those words. Some of the hurtful words and phrases that women wrote include; seaka, sepadi, seganana, coward, setlhobogwa, troubler, you’re nothing, letagwa and you do not deserve to be my daughter. To a large extent, these hurtful words have a negative impact on the confidence and self-esteem of women. In addition to that, they bring forth stigma towards women who are using substances hence the reduced number of women seeking treatment.

The women were also asked to write positive words for women who use substances in order to show support and give encouragement. Moreover, the positive words were a symbol that not everyone sees them in that negative light. Some of the words used were; you’re beautiful, you’re worthy, you’re loved, you’re not alone, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, own it and don’t let them control you. It is important for women to know that they are not alone and that they are not judged for having a substance use disorder or mental health issue. As BOSASNET, the positive words resonate with the message we want people to focus on and we encourage women to view them as a means of motivation to start their recovery journey and keep pushing, no matter how difficult it gets.

During this activity, we realised that a lot of women were uncomfortable and shy writing on the wall of hope. We also noticed that most of the women who came to our stall were primarily enquiring about our services for their family members, especially for their children. This shows that cultural norms and expectations, to a large extent, hinder women from prioritising themselves and their wellbeing and rather prioritise the needs of others.

Women should know that it is not only okay but also vital for them to seek help for their substance use disorder. An important thing for women to note is that, as BOSASNET, we acknowledge the hurtful words and experiences they have been through because of their substance use and we are here for them. BOSASNET offers a judgment-free environment for counselling services to people experiencing problems with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, anger management and adjustment issues. It is our hope that everyone we have reached while doing this activity and during the course of our existence continues to spread the word and support other people struggling with substance use disorders and mental health issues.

If you think that you might have a problem mentioned above, or if you have a friend or family member who does, we encourage you to seek help. For some, it can mean the difference between life and death.

You can find BOSASNET on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok or call us on 3959119 or 72659891 for more information.