AIDO Network Launches Drug-Free World Campaign in Uganda, Starting with Teso Sub-region

The Ateker International Development Organization -AIDO Network International, under the leadership of its founder and president His Highness Paul Jons Eganda I, on Friday officially launched the Drug-Free World Campaign in Uganda, choosing the Teso sub-region as the entry point for what is set to become a national and continental movement against drug and substance abuse.

Held in Serere District, the engagement attracted a powerful cross-section of cultural leaders, elders, educators, students, and civil society organizations, all rallying around one urgent cause: empowering communities with the truth about drugs.

In his keynote address, His Highness Paul Eganda I emphasized that the greatest weapon against drug addiction is education not enforcement or punishment.

“We are not here to ban drugs. We are here to speak the truth about drugs, so that before anyone chooses that path, they fully understand the cost,” Eganda said. “Even in Europe, they don’t stop selling cigarettes—but they show you rotten lungs on the packet. That is the power of truth. And that is our mission.”

The Drug-Free World Campaign, backed by educational booklets, DVDs, and teacher-friendly kits, aims to create a mass grassroots awareness movement in schools, homes, and community centers. The materials, translated into various languages, are designed to make drug prevention simple, factual, and accessible.

Papa Eganda warned that drug abuse is no longer just a youth issue—it is affecting leaders, parents, and professionals alike.

“Drug abuse has become a lifestyle. It is with celebrities, politicians, even elders. It changes your blood, your DNA, and it can haunt your family line for generations,” he explained. “This is not a matter of blame. It is a matter of saving lives.”

In a show of cultural solidarity, His Royal Highness Won Ateker Raphael Otaya, the cultural leader of the Kumam people, attended the launch alongside a delegation from the Kumam Cultural Heritage. In his address, he pledged support to AIDO’s campaign, describing it as a timely intervention.

“This is a war we must fight together. As a kingdom, we are ready to take this message to our people,” he said. “In the past, communities raised children together. Today, everyone says, ‘It’s not my child.’ That must change.”

Won Ateker also condemned recent violence against women in Serere, connecting the issue to broader social decay worsened by drug and alcohol abuse. He called for unity, accountability, and cultural revival.

The engagement ended with a commitment from cultural and civic leaders to collaborate with AIDO and the Drug-Free World Foundation to push the campaign into schools, homes, and local institutions. Educators, chiefs, government workers, and youth leaders were all encouraged to become active champions of the message.

“Our tools are ready. Our materials are simple. What we need now are leaders who dare to change the world,” concluded HH Paul Eganda. “Let Uganda be the example for Africa.”
Bayete!—the royal affirmation—resounded through the event hall, signaling not just the end of the launch, but the beginning of a movement.