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This project responds to findings from the Likoni Needs Assessment done in June 2026, and consultations with Reach Out Centre Trust (RCT) Mombasa. While harm reduction programming, treatment & recovery, HIV prevention, counselling and referral services exist, major gaps remain in recovery reintegration, family support and economic empowerment. The project seeks to improve recovery outcomes and reduce relapse among recovering People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) and vulnerable youth through recovery support, family strengthening, livelihoods and stigma reduction.
Likoni faces high levels of poverty, unemployment, school dropout, substance abuse and social exclusion. Stakeholders identified unemployment, stigma and weak family support as major drivers of relapse. Reach Out Centre Trust identified reintegration and economic empowerment as the most critical service gaps affecting recovering users.
NACADA studies identify Mombasa as one of the highest burden counties for substance abuse, with prevalence estimated at 34.4%. Heroin, cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and emerging psychoactive substances continue to affect communities. Some of the drivers include unemployment, poverty, weak family systems, school dropout, trafficking routes, peer influence, and limited rehabilitation access. The project responds to both prevention and recovery needs.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Drug and substance abuse remains one of the most pressing public health and socio-economic challenges facing Mombasa County, with Likoni Sub-County among the most affected communities due to its proximity to major trafficking routes, high levels of poverty, unemployment, and social vulnerability. According to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), Mombasa County records a substance use prevalence rate of 34.4%, among the highest in Kenya, while approximately 60.7% of active drug users are aged between 18 and 35 years. Commonly abused substances include heroin, cannabis, alcohol, prescription sedatives, and emerging psychoactive substances. Substance use has contributed to increased HIV vulnerability, poor mental health outcomes, school dropout, family disintegration, crime, and loss of economic productivity, particularly among young people.
Findings from the Likoni Community Needs Assessment revealed that one of the most significant and persistent gaps in the existing response system is the lack of structured recovery reintegration and economic empowerment support for individuals who have completed treatment or are in recovery. Many recovering People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) and vulnerable youth return to communities where they face stigma, unemployment, social exclusion, weak family support systems, and limited opportunities for economic participation, significantly increasing their risk of relapse.
The assessment further established that unemployment, lack of vocational opportunities, family breakdown, and community stigma are among the strongest drivers of relapse and long-term dependency. While treatment services may address the immediate health effects of substance use, recovery is often undermined when individuals are unable to rebuild their livelihoods, restore family relationships, or regain a sense of purpose and belonging within their communities
Therefore, there is an urgent need for a coordinated, community-based recovery reintegration model that bridges the gap between treatment and long-term recovery. This project seeks to address that gap by supporting recovering PWID and vulnerable youth to successfully reintegrate into their families, communities, and local economy through structured case management, peer support, family strengthening interventions, stigma reduction initiatives, vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and employment pathways.
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