Combining love and boundaries in my parenting, and guiding my child with care, not with punishment, are the most valuable lessons I learned in just three days of the Strong Families Programme.

My name is Roya*, and two months ago, I joined the Strong Families Programme, where we learned practical lessons about positive parenting, stress management, and understanding our children’s emotions. I especially enjoyed the calm breathing exercise, a simple practice to bring peace and relaxation. Sharing family challenges with other mothers made me realize that I am not alone and that together we can stay strong and support one another.

This new understanding has changed my relationship with my daughter. I realized this when one day I couldn’t afford to buy her a new school bag. In the past, she might have cried or shouted, but this time she stayed calm and said, “Mother, I will go to school with the same bag this year.”

Her reaction touched me deeply and showed how much she has learned. This new understanding between us is priceless and gives me a feeling of peace and pride as a mother. It makes me confident that she will go out and make healthy decisions in her life. I believe more families should have the chance to join programmes like Strong Families. Many parents face stress and family problems, and this programme shows simple ways to build healthier children’s behavior and a happier, more peaceful home.

About the Strong Families Programme (SFP)

Through funding support by the Republic of Korea, UNODC successfully scaled up the global Strong Families Program (SFP) (A family skills drug use prevention programme for families living in stressful and challenged settings) in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces, adapted to the Afghan context and reaching 180 highly vulnerable families from low-resource, internally displaced, poppy-farming communities.

Through structured sessions, participating families gained practical skills to manage stress, strengthen parenting practices, prevent violence, and foster positive, age-appropriate family dynamics. As a result, the intervention led to improved emotional well-being, stronger caregiver-child relationships, and enhanced household resilience, all of which are protective factors against drug use initiation.

These achievements are expected to directly contribute to national drug prevention priorities and integrated into broader family support and drug prevention initiatives, ensuring long-term sustainability and wider impact.

Source: https://www.unodc.org/coafg/en/stories/2026/strong-families-porgramme-a-family-based-drug-use-prevention-intervention-helping-mothers-to-have-a-strong-bonding-with-their-children.html