The Conscientization Role in Mitigating Drug and Substance Abuse Among Youth of Pcea Nanyuki Presbytery, Laikipia County, Kenya

This study investigates the role of conscientization a Freirean process of raising critical awareness and promoting transformative action in addressing drug and substance abuse among youth in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), Nanyuki Presbytery, Laikipia County, Kenya. Despite the church’s active involvement, substance abuse continues to be a significant issue, with many young people experimenting with or regularly using drugs. Church-led interventions have had limited success, with high relapse rates, largely due to fragmented approaches, stigma, and a lack of evidence-based practices. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 300 youth using structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews and focus group discussions with 19 church leaders and 40 parents. SPSS was used for statistical analysis, and qualitative responses were thematically analyzed. The findings reveal that conscientization strategies significantly influenced both awareness and behavior change. Drug education and youth retreats were identified as effective tools in the intervention process. Pastoral care, including spiritual support and life skills training, helped foster emotional resilience. However, several gaps were identified: the underutilization of technology in outreach, limited use of community forums, inadequate mental health and economic support, and weak collaboration with healthcare providers. Peer pressure and unemployment were found to be contributing factors to high relapse rates.