Pastor Willy Rumenera, CEO of Teen Challenge Rwanda and Brice Maddock, President and CEO of Global Teen Challenge, are some of 70 people who participated in the International Conference against drugs, "Executive Council Meeting", that Held in USA, from 28/08 to 31/08/2023. This special conference was organized by Global Teen Challenge.

Brice Maddock, who leads Global Teen Challenge, holds an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Evangel University. The Global Teen Challenge, is a network of Christian faith-based corporations intended to provide rehabilitation services to people struggling with addiction. It was founded by David Wilkerson in 1960. The global headquarters is in Columbus, Georgia, United States.

Today, there is an estimated 270 million people worldwide who suffer from addiction. If drug and alcohol abuse were a country, it would be the third largest nation in the world! Over 3.6 million people die from drugs or alcohol each year. That’s approximately 10,000 deaths per day, 420 per hour, and 7 every minute.

According to Globaltc.org, the drugs abused are many and dangerous. They are depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogenic substances causing dependence, psychotic behaviors, serious illness, and severe withdrawal symptoms.

Most people struggling with addictions around the world are without any real opportunity for a cure. Where there are those struggling and wanting help, there is a lack of accessible rehabilitation programs. Where there are people who want to help, most don’t have the tools, training, and resources to do so.

Addiction is a plague to humankind. It afflicts every country of the world and does not discriminate between race, gender, age group, and economic class.

The financial and emotional cost to families, communities, and nations is staggering. Addicted teens are failing school, marriages are falling apart, and men and women are driven to the streets. Drug-related unrest creates at-risk communities and costs a nation hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare, crime, and unemployment.

Drug dependency not only wounds the body, but also the mind and soul. Someone suffering from addiction faces job loss, financial ruin, disconnection from family, and legal problems. As his life spirals out of control, hope fades and despair takes over.

For many, there remain only two paths to relief: continued drug use or death. Drug users are about six times more likely to take their own life than the general population. Without a reason to hope, a life free from addiction is not possible.

Pastor Willy Rumenera, CEO of Teen Challenge Rwanda told Paradise.rw that allowing Jesus Christ to rule in you, is the only powerful way to help drug addicts and those who want to get into it. He said, “The empty in man can only be filled by God. When God is not in it, you put other gods in it.”

Executive Council Meeting held in USA, from 28/08 to 31/08/2023

Pastor Willy Rumenera, CEO of Teen Challenge Rwanda and Brice Maddock, President and CEO of Global Teen Challenge