HE was just 16 when he first gave in to peer pressure and took a sip of alcohol, a drag of heroin (volo) and thought little of it.
But that small decision in 2017 set Nkumbu Simbeye on a dark, destructive spiral that would last for seven years, cost him his education twice, shatter relationships and almost rob him of his future.
Now, at 24, after nearly a decade of alcohol and drug abuse, he is sober, back at the University of Zambia and training to become a doctor.
He has also become a source of hope and joy for those trying to escape the same dark grip of substances that once consumed him, through a movement called Reclaimed Lives.
The movement is aimed at tackling the stigma around addiction and offering hope to those trapped where he once was.
Nkumbu also dropped out of university twice because of his dependency on drugs and alcohol.
“It started out as curiosity, just wanting to fit in,” Nkumbu recalls. “But very quickly it became my only way to cope with stress and pain. Before I knew it, I had lost myself.”
Nkumbu was born in Northern Province but grew up in Lusaka. He was a bright boy with ambitions who moved from Matero Boys Secondary School to David Kaunda Technical School, where he completed his secondary education in 2018.
But his first taste of drugs in Grade 11 soon turned into a daily crutch. By the time he entered the University of Zambia in 2021, what began as “just fun” had turned into dependency.
Every disappointment, every moment of anxiety, was numbed by substances and that led to him dropping out of university twice as his habits consumed him.
“I thought I was destined either to die or to waste my life. I thought drugs were my life, at that point, nothing ever mattered, as long as I was high then nobody really mattered,” he told Kalemba in an interview.
There were nights he barely recognised himself and the lowest point was realising he was not just losing his future but his dignity.
“I knew if I didn’t change, I would never become the person I was meant to be,” he shared.
“That realisation pushed me to rehab. But it wasn’t a miracle fix. I felt bad for betraying my family. There were relapses, there was shame, there were moments I wanted to quit completely.”
Yet through faith, counselling, determination and his name Nkumbu (mercy), he slowly clawed his way back.
Now 10 months sober, Nkumbu speaks with the assurance of a man who has fought his demons and won.
Against all odds, Nkumbu is now in his second year of a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery.
His dream is to don the white coat not just as a survivor of addiction but as a doctor determined to heal others.
“Healing shouldn’t just be personal, it should be a community mission,” he stated.
To others caught in the same trap, Nkumbu’s journey gives hope as he advises that it’s not too late for one to change their life.
And to the parents, Nkumbu said they should be loving towards their own flesh by giving them support when they fall short of the glory of God.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, October 4, 2025
