Private Struggles, Public Support: Rehabilitating heroin users in Kenya

In this paper patterns of heroin use in East African coastal towns are outlined. The approach of a community-based Kenyan heroin rehabilitation project is described. The project developed techniques of action research and aimed to combine anthropology with expertise gained in a UK drugs project. During the three week project, one-to-one counselling of heroin users, as well as sessions with their families, were carried out. Fourteen volunteers were trained in foundation counselling skills. The project succeeded in raising community awareness of the problems associated heroin use and also facilitated self-help initiatives at the local level.