Tanzanian singer and video vixen Gift Stanford, popularly known as Gigy Money, has noted that most Bongo artistes in Tanzania struggle with drug abuse. According to the 25-year-old, most artistes are either abusing cocaine, alcohol, bhang, or all at once.

She further noted that some of those who abuse such hard drugs rarely have proper meals as they are always high and thus the start of their downfall.

“Mastaa wengi wa Bongo wanaishi kwenye njaa mpaka unawakuta wamepigwa picha wakiwa wamekondeana kwa sababu ya cocaine, weed na alcohol,” she said.

The lack of proper ways or mechanisms to tackle the drug problem is another factor that Gigy Money pointed out, as she claimed that most Tanzanians do not understand how therapy works. 

“Na kibaya zaidi Wabongo wengi hawajui kufanya therapy na ninamshukuru sana marehemu Ruge Mutahaba ndiye aliniambia ninahitaji mtu wa kuniweka vizuri kisaikolojia,” she added.

Gigy further challenged all the stakeholders to intervene and advocate for proper mental care as it will save many lives - not only those of celebrities but also ordinary people struggling with drug problems.

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“Kuwa na mtu wa matibabu ya akili ni mambo ambayo tunapaswa kujifunza,” she said.

The entertainment industry across the world has been negatively affected by the issue of drug abuse. Over the years, we have seen legendary artistes go down this route, and the outcome has been heartbreaking. 

In East Africa, Ray C’s struggle with drug addiction was one of the most publicized stories in the region. Ray C, born Rehema Chalamila, came to the limelight in 2003, and after enjoying the success of her hit songs, news went out that she was deeply involved in drug abuse. 

In an interview, Ray C said she was introduced to drugs by her then-close friends with whom they frequently spent time.

“The company I was hanging out with was not good. If you hang out with a thief, you become a thief. If you hang out with an alcoholic, you become one. You can’t say you will go to the bar and not drink. It’s the company,” she said

With help, Ray C overcame her addiction and now spends a bit of her time advising the masses, including celebrities, against going down the same road she went through.