On International Day for the Girl Child and under the auspices of Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine Al-Qabaj, a girl took her seat as  director of the Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction (FDCTA) for one day. Last month, Qabaj, who is also FDCTA chairman, gave directives for Nevine Alaa to sit at the helm of the Fund and discuss ways of combating drug abuse and awareness campaigns to protect youth from picking up the habit.

Alaa met with the actual director of FDCTA Amr Osman, who is also assistant to the minister of social solidarity, for an overview of the Fund’s strategy to reduce demand on drugs and boost awareness campaigns. She was also briefed about the FDCTA’s community programmes in newly developed areas that are “slum alternatives’’, as well as door to door initiative to talk with families in these neighbourhoods about the devastation that drug abuse creates, early detection, seeking help using Hotline 16023 in order to receive treatment confidentiality and for free.

FDCTA Director for a Day Alaa is a volunteer at the Fund and participated in many awareness programmes and activities to educate youth about hazards of drug abuse. In her meeting with Osman, Alaa also discussed expanding awareness about drug abuse among state employees, especially after the implementation of legislation starting in mid-December that allows the termination of civil servants from their jobs if they abuse drugs.

At the end of the day, Alaa received the FDCTA’s shield and certificate of recognition from Osman, after she participated in the Ministry’s celebrations attended by Minister Qabaj.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October , 2021 edition of Al- Ahram Weekly