The East African Regional Forum and Workshop was held in Kampala, Uganda, February 4-6th 2020.
Together with four member organisations, UYDEL, Slum Child Foundation, SCAD and Paddifoundation WFAD hosted the second East African Regional Forum. The workshop and forum were part of a pilot-study grant, funded by Swedish Development Agency Forum Syd. The two-day workshop hosted some 25 members from the Region (including Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as two Nigeran participants), with an aim to deepen cooperation between and within civil society. 

The two-day Regional workshop dove into the strengths, needs and capacities in the region’s CSOs (within the field of drug and alcohol addiction). The result: The East African Network For Prevention And Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders (EANPTSUD) was created. The group worked through the network’s vision, mission, objectives and activities and the Secretary and Chair of the network were chosen, Kikome Ruth, Uganda and George Ochieng Odalo, Kenya. 

The results of the two-day workshop and discussions was presented in a joint declaration, named the Kampala Declaration. 

The final day, 6th of February, the WFAD East African Regional Forum on Prevention and Treatment of Drugs and Alcohol took place. Over 80 participants were joined by a high amount of media. The event, and interviews, were broadcasted on Ugandan television. The Day began with a testimony by Catherine Boyane of Nakuru Drop-In Centre, Kenya, who shared her story and presented the past workshop-days. 

Participants and speakers from the region and abroad joined the forum, which covered a wide range of areas from Convention on the Rights of the Child, Gender and Drug Abuse among Young Women, the Asian experience on Drug Demand reduction, the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime, a Drug free worksplace, legalisation of marijuana, Civil Society Impact on Policy Makers, and finally a panel discussion highlighting the situation for women facing addiction within East and West Africa. The Forum was co-funded by Förbundet Mot Droger, IFNGO, WFTC, Drug Free America Foundation and Carlton Hall Consulting LLC.

We thank those who supported the forum, the media attendees, the UYDEL Team for hosting us, the speakers a special thank you to all participants in the workshop and forum!