​Neo Mohato Moyedi, founder of the Mohato Foundation, aims to provide support for people with drug and alcohol disorder . Moyedi, 37, has had a long history of substance abuse disorder and now wants to help others who are facing the same challenges.
Moyedi’s drug use started when he was 15 years old, introduced to drugs by his friends, he could hide his habit by participating in school and extra-curricular activities. However, the frequency of Moyedi’s drug use increased thus affecting his performance in school. When Moyedi could no longer continue with his college education, due to financial reasons, his disorder worsened leading him to years of homelessness and substance abuse. Moyedi tried going to rehab three times with the last attempt at the ‘Breaking the Chains’ rehabilitation centre (in Lenasia south) being successful. Since then Moyedi has been clean for over 3 years.

Moyedi states that a lot of people do not know that substance abuse is a disease that deserves on-going support for those who try to overcome it. From experience, Moyedi noticed that most 6-week rehabilitation programmes did not offer enough support when patients tried to integrate back into society, which made it easier for patients to relapse.

The Mohato Foundation seeks to partner with the Department of Social Development and stakeholders such as SANCA to raise funds that would be used to provide a 3 to 6 months halfway house programme for discharged patients who will be reintegrated into their communities, families, and workplaces. The programme will also provide counselling, life coaching, mentoring and skills development.

For Mandela Day, 18 July 2022, the Mohato Foundation will be offering free haircuts, winter clothing and warm meals in drug hotspots in Soweto. Moyedi says, this is to remind them that somebody still loves them.”