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PRESS RELEASE

UPDATE: DAVID OGOT Snr.HUMAN BILLBOARD GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS ATTEMPT

The goinghomedotcom Trust a charitable organisation registered in Kenya has since 2001 when I wrote my first article on the subject of alcoholism in the Daily Nation been trying to create awareness on dangers in injudicious alcohol consumption as well as the disease of alcoholism. The Trust also creates awareness on tobacco and other drugs as well as connection between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS

My wife Eileen Mlamba-Ogot and I have no funds or sponsors yet since our only agenda is to pass the message we have been soldiering on, on a wing and a prayer. What we have achieved thus far is:

• Published a massive website on alcoholism and other drug abuse www.goinghomekenya.org with free access to members of the public, journalists and families who are suffering. The whole website is currently being translated into Kiswahili to allow greater dissemination.
• A Resource center for drug abuse I.E.C materials open to the public for a token fee at our offices in Hurlingham
• Produced a 40 minute video (the first in a series) on alcoholism which has been aired on Citizen T.V in 2002 and 2003, KBC Channel 1 in December 2004 and STV twice in 2005. NB: Kiswahili translation almost complete so as dub a sound track in Kiswahili to allow greater dissemination
• Constant stream of awareness in various newspapers and magazines as well as appearances on TV and talks on radio to show families how to deal with alcoholism and other drug addiction
• Free counseling for families with addicts at our offices in Hurlingham seeing several clients a week
• Talks in schools, churches and other institutions all over Kenya on drugs and drug abuse.

Two books on the drug situation in Kenya are nearing completion.

Others also seem to be looking for a catch as to why we do this, yet there is no catch. As a recovering alcoholic all I want to do is pass on the message using my profession journalism as a platform. It is a way of giving back to society.

My wife Eileen everyday sees families in the throes of denial with their addicted loved ones and so prolonging their agony. Having gone through this pain herself she tries to help these families with her experiences.

It is from this realisation of the general ignorance of Kenyans over drug addiction and alcoholism in particular that goinghomedotcom Trust came up with the inaugural National Alcohol Awareness Month which was successfully run last year thanks to various media houses, your organization included.

Plans for the 2nd National Alcohol Awareness Month are already in high gear.During this month Kenyans will also be sensitized on the drug alcohol, its effects, safe drinking levels and all aspects of this drug for it will always be with us and the best that we can do is tame it, domesticate it so that it works for us not against us.

As a build-up to last years National Alcohol Awareness Month I had since October 1 2003, worn T-shirts of one kind or another but all with one thing in common – they had drug abuse awareness messages. As of October 1, 2004 had hit a record 365 days.

As a result and off-shoot of the National Alcohol Awareness Month is the ‘Human Billboard Record’ I will try and go for a Guinness Book record in an attempt to draw attention to alcoholism in Kenya and the near complete absence of any coordinated constant awareness on this disease. There is no up to date alcohol policy nor a coherent modern policy on rehabilitation and aftercare including social reintegration programmes for recovering alcoholics. So they and their families continue to suffer needlessly.

This is just to update your organisation on this attempt that since last year I now have a form for each day which is filled and stamped wherever I go after whoever is filling it in has first verified that I am indeed wearing a T-shirt with a drug abuse message. There is also a separate form for those who would sponsor me for an extra day, week, month etc of wearing these T-shirts. In fact this is the first time we are soliciting for funds as all proceeds go to keep the work of the trust going.

As of today I have worn these T-shirts for 1 YEAR, 7 MONTHS, 3 DAYS. Rain or shine, public holiday or otherwise. Thanks especially to those who have signed and stamped my forms on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays when I was hard pressed to have these forms filled e.g staff at the Uchumi Hyper, Langata Rd., Carnivore Restaurant, and Acacia Pharmacy at the Langata Uchumi Hyper., SAMKA Holdings, Hurlingham and the Nairobi Place Treatment Center in Karen.

We all need to pool together if we are to fight alcohol and other drug abuse and save out country. We cannot afford to fight each other. For me journalism has always been being a voice for the voiceless and in the process leaving lives we touch the better off for our stories.

David Ogot snr.
Programmes Director,
goinghomedotcom Trust,
NAIROBI.
3rd May 2005

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