Former journalist Johana Chacha will be in the cohort that will be graduating on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, in Nyandarua under Pastor Dorcas Rigathi's rehabilitation program after a successful rehabilitation alongside 79 others.
Chacha was once a household name in the media industry having worked for political desks as a Senior Political Reporter at KTN and K24 among other media stations.
However, he revealed he was retrenched from his job in what he says was a result of alcoholism. After losing his job in 2016, his drinking habits accelerated but he later joined Nairobi's Riruta Stadium in Kawangware.
In his own words, alcoholism took his promising journalism career down the drain.
"My childhood dream was cut short by alcoholism," a statement by the OSDPS desk indicates.
Chacha recalled how he used to miss work before his firing due to alcoholism. He says at times he could miss work for even three days without a trace.
"I remember when I was fired, I had missed work for three consecutive days, and my editors could not trace me. When I reported on the fourth day, I could not explain my whereabouts for those 3-days. So, when I was fired, I could get into alcoholism even more," he narrated.
The renowned journalist says when he heard Pastor Dorcas was running a rehabilitation program for the youth in alcoholism, drugs and substance abuse in Nairobi's Dagoreti area he wouldn't hesitate to join the program. The program started by screening over 500 youth in Dagoreti where 79 joined the ASK rehabilitation program while another cohort of 50 has undergone rehabilitation in Limuru.
"We have learnt a lot about life from the rehabilitation program. It was my own decision to join the program and I don't regret it at all. I can see I have now regained some respect from my friends," he said.
He is now working as a volunteer under Awake Christian Initiative - a group that has been doing mentorship programs for high school students.
"If how I started my work without being an alcoholic is how I maintained, I could have been very far by now. I remember people we started with in the media industry, the likes of John Allan Namu, Stephen Ndumbi, and MP Mohamed Ali, some have even started their own companies," he said.
Adding; "I have learnt but learnt the hard way, but I have reformed."
