About Us
SAHARA'S extensive on the ground experience with communities affected by substance use disorders has convinced us that medicine is essential in conjunction with talking therapy for an effective treatment.
SAHARA is an association in George, the Garden Route, that provides free care for people with substance use disorder.
Our primary objectives are :
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To assist people to reduce or stop alcohol, tobacco or drug use, thereby limiting their harm within our community.
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Provide treatment and medicines free of charge to people.
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Provide training for service providers in management of substance use disorder.
We provide community-based outpatient treatment for people who smoke, use alcohol problematically or use drugs.
Our treatment is evidenced based and follows a bio-psycho-social approach.
We aim to re-integrate people in society with meaningful life.
We advocate for better access to public services for people with substance use disorder.
International research and our own experience demonstrates that adding medication to treatment, has increased positive outcome. Unfortunately, these medicines are not on the essential medicines list for public hospitals and clinics, and thus not provided.
We want to include medicines in our treatment programs in Thembalethu and Rosemore but lack funds to do this.