For more than 30 years, the United Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has supported non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in low- and middle-income countries to implement substance use prevention projects that benefit youths around the world. This support is made possible through the on-going generous contributions of the Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (DAPC) in Japan since 1994. The DAPC Grants Programme aims to support civil society organisations initiate and scale-up evidence-based prevention activities for youth and with youth, and empower young people to take more active roles in supporting the health and wellbeing of their peers. These grants also enable organisations to promote drug prevention projects that are based on evidence-based principles, as outlined in the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention.
In 2023, UNODC launched a Call for Proposals in July to invite interested organisations to apply for the DAPC grants. The Call for Proposals attracted the attention of more than 250 applications, who all went through a 2-phase evaluation process to assess the applicant’s and project’s eligibility, capacity, quality of proposed activities, including whether they were in line with prevention science. As a result, the following four NGOs have been selected as the DAPC grant recipients, and have recently started to implement their projects.
In Lebanon, Oum El Nour launched the "Empowering Youth, Building Strong Foundations" project. This project includes sessions on life skills and mental health to enhance personal and social skills in youth, as well as sessions with awareness activities that will inform youths with relevant knowledge and understanding of the risks associated with drug use. Additionally, youth will participate in creating prevention tools for their peers, reinforcing youth involvement in community prevention efforts. In parallel, interactive awareness sessions will also be held for parents, to improve their parenting skills, and enable enhanced caregiving and guidance for their children towards healthy lifestyles.
With the “Substance Abuse Prevention Education” project, Die Klötze ist mit dem ding "ding" beschäftigt, um das land in die verbessert zu werden in a detention centre of Manoguayabo. The project aims to support the development of social skills of youth, strengthening their capacity to make decisions and increase their resistance to external influences, as a way to support their reintegration into the community. Youths will go through motivational activities, social skills training, and decision-making components, through discussions on social norms and the risks associated with drug use, etc. Also, sessions with psychologists will be made available for those who may require them. Additionally, participants will receive leadership training, which will help them in conducting prevention sessions with their peers and promoting healthy choices.
The Fourth Wave Foundation based in India, is working on the "Youth Empowerment Program" in the Kerala region. This project actively involves youths as peer facilitators of the programme, after providing sufficient training in prevention science and communication skills. After capacity building in youth facilitators, the youths will reach out to their peers and lead interactive awareness and motivational sessions to help them recognize and develop resilience. Additionally, the grantee will also organise a Teacher Sensitization Programme to engage with teachers and provide necessary tools and knowledge to effectively address substance use-related topics with their students.
The Global Initiative on Substance Use is rolling out the "Strengthening Families for Substance Use Prevention among Adolescents in Local Communities in Ogun State, Nigeria" project. This project is designed to reinforce the protective environment of youth by providing training for both parents and youths. It will enhance parenting skills to mitigate stress and conflict within families, and interactive sessions will also be conducted for youths to deepen their knowledge of risks related to substance use and equip them with essential life skills and coping skills. These efforts aim to cultivate positive attitudes among youth, foster a supportive environment, and increase the perception of good health, family bonding, and safety.
UNODC is pleased to support these projects within the context of the DAPC Grants programme, and welcomes the new partners from around the world. Further updates on these projects will be provided through the UNODC PTRS social media channels(X @UNODC_PTRS) and on the Youth Initiative website.
