MAISHA NI NGUMU! 'I Was Born Addicted To Drugs,' KU Student Narrates The Struggles Of Feeding Her Addiction

Piece by: Grace Kerongo
Lifestyle

Silvia Wangari has been to many rehabs in a bid to get clean from her drug addiction she was born with, a condition known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Silvia's addiction has seen her at Langata Women Prison for threatening people with a toy gun.

In an interview with Mediamax, Sylvia said,

“MY MOTHER DIED AND I CURRENTLY LIVE WITH MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER. SOME OF MY RELATIVES ARE UNABLE TO HANDLE ME BECAUSE THEY THINK I AM RUDE AND RECKLESS, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW ADDICTION IS A DISEASE. I CANNOT COUNT HOW MANY REHAB CENTRES I HAVE BEEN TO."

Her aging grandmother came to her rescue after she started consuming second-generation alcohol, smoking cigarettes and taking hard drugs.

Sylvia, 23, is battling hard to fight her addiction. She is a student at Kenyatta University (KU) where she is expected to finish her Bachelor of Science Conservation Biology.

Currently in rehab, Sylvia says that her mother's serial drug usage landed her in the predicament.

“My mother was a serial drug user, therefore I was exposed to them at a tender age. Bhang and other types of drugs were in abundance in my environment. I have made peace with my life and I am a changed person. I would wish to encourage girls to come into this rehab because out of over 70 patients I am the only girl,” she said.

She is admitted at the John Mututho Empowerment Centre (Jomec) in Nakuru. Sylvia hopes she will kick her addiction and re-enter society.