Inflation soared to 191.6 percent in Zimbabwe in June, and the country's high unemployment, weak currency and underinvestment have been a headache for Emerson Mnangagwa's authorities. According to foreign media "LPN" reported on July 12, in order to cope with the increasing cost of living crisis, most Zimbabweans can now only buy second-hand clothes shipped from the United Kingdom, and young people even extract residues from baby diapers to get pleasure.
Professor Mugano said, "Our situation is just that bad. Everyone is very economically difficult, the store 30 US dollars (about 200 yuan) clothes, we only need to spend 2 US dollars (about 13.5 yuan) to buy second-hand clothes, all to survive. But that's not what we want. ”
Professor Mugano blamed the local economic woes on the authorities' own problems and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He explained that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has made the situation in Zimbabwe worse and "made this person who is already in intensive care worse".
Life crises have also led to more and more young people using desperate ways to indulge themselves, such as alcohol and drug abuse. Some even boil new or used baby diapers, extract water-absorbent sodium polyacrylate from them, and drink them.
Sodium polyacrylate dissolves after boiling, and they call this dissolved liquid "Pampers juice." In Zimbabwe's densely populated areas with high poverty rates, young people can often be seen lying on the sidewalk or trapped on the side of the road after getting drunk or taking drugs.
The local slang term "KuSticker" refers to these people who have difficulty walking or talking after getting drunk or taking drugs, who usually have nothing to do because they can't afford legal alcohol and can only use this unorthodox way to get pleasure. This has also been a serious public health problem in Zimbabwe.
A 25-year-old man, who did not want to be named, said helplessly, "Beer is too expensive for me to afford." Drugs are cheaper and give me hours more of an excitement. We know they have health effects, but there's nothing we can do about it either. ”
He added, "What else can we do?" We had nothing. This is Zimbabwe and everything is tough. We didn't work. ”
Social critic, poet and artist Chirikure said young people had become more depraved by economic hardship, abusing illegal drugs in an attempt to use it as an excuse to escape all difficulties.
According to statistics, about 70% of young people in Zimbabwe are unemployed, and those who have jobs are also in extreme poverty, with a per capita income of less than 2 US dollars (about 13.5 yuan) per day. These people face the same challenge, as they get deeper and deeper into the shadows due to a lack of awareness about the use of illicit drugs, combined with factors such as the stress of life. Some people go to rehabilitation centers but relapse once they return to the same environment.
Chirikur further said that despite all that has been said, the authorities have not taken any action on the issue of drug abuse among young people, and what we need is mutual support and working together to change this social environment.
Norman Matara, a doctor from Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, revealed that many young people die from illegal alcohol consumption and drug abuse, all of which can have a negative impact on their physical health, damaging their hearts, livers and kidneys, ultimately leading to death.
Dr. Matala also believes that alcohol and substance abuse is actually a mental health problem. Ivan Zhakata, head of the recently formed Zimbabwe Drinkers Association (DAZ), called on the younger generation not to touch drugs and harmful substances.
However, how to save this generation of young people from the depths of the water is really a big problem for the Zimbabwean authorities.
Image source: LPN, Bing