Recovering alcoholics turn to a cup of soup, plate of ugali-matumbo for refuge

Dr. John Karuga Ngera, a retired veterinarian and a reformed alcoholic addict is spearheading an initiative dubbed Soup with a Message in Laikipia County. 

The initiative targets men who have found themselves in the shackles of alcohol and drugs abuse. 

The group gathers every weekend at the Emmanuel PCEA Church in Karuga village, Laikipia West where they get soup, and ugali served with matumbo. 

After getting the ‘Soup with a Message’ , the men have a chit chat, where they share their journey with alcoholism, their progress in recovering and other issues affecting them. 

Karuga works with the assistance of local priest Rev. Joseph Karanja, and the initiative has been seen to bear fruits. 

The group, which started with about 18 men, has seen over 60 recovering alcoholics visit the church to not only get the soup, but the message that accompanies it. 

The bone soup normally contains additives from hibiscus, lemongrass and moringa. Karuga says serves nutritional purposes as it increases their appetite for food. 

Its purpose is to help victims remove the urge to drink and increase their appetite for food.

According to Karuga, he got a calling to support addicts and has since seen positive progress from those who have joined the mission.

On his part, Rev. Karanja says the initiative has been bearing fruits, and its aim is not to persuade the men to join the church but support them socially to overcome alcoholism. 

A section of the victims have praised the mission saying it has helped them reform. 

David Mwangi and Wang’ombe Nduru, are recovering alcoholic addicts and recount how miserable their lives were before the joined the mission.

They lament that most of their resources were wasted chasing drinks despite earning little money through menial jobs.

With hangovers being the most common effects of drinking alcohol, victims find themselves going back to the dens for a bottle popularly known as “Kutoa Lock”, hence the alternative of bone soup.