After losing his sibling to drugs, Wilson Box fights for change
When Wilson Box lost his sibling to drug use, the tragedy changed more than his family. It changed the direction of his work.
At the time, Zimbabwe had limited accessible services for people struggling with drug use, leaving families with few options for treatment, care and recovery. For Box, the experience exposed the stigma and challenges faced by people who use drugs and the families trying to support them.
Instead of allowing the loss to end the conversation, Box turned it into a reason to push for change.
Today, he is the founder and director of the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN), working to promote evidence-based drug policies, harm reduction and greater access to services for people who use drugs. His work has taken him from community programmes to national policy discussions.
In 2020, ZCLDN led the development of Zimbabwe’s National Drug Master Plan, contributing to the country’s policy response to drug use.
The organisation worked with the National AIDS Council, Global Fund, UNAIDS and Mainline Foundation to conduct a situational analysis of illicit drug use across five provinces. The research generated evidence aimed at strengthening HIV and tuberculosis services for people who use and inject drugs.
ZCLDN has also established community support groups across eight provinces, giving affected communities access to peer support and pathways to essential services.
Through the Bestie Peer-Led Outreach Programme in Harare and Bulawayo, people with lived experience of drug use reach others in their communities with health education, support and referrals.
Box’s work extends beyond Zimbabwe. He previously served as Deputy Secretary of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs and currently sits on the Zimbabwe National Key Population Forum, where he continues to contribute to discussions around drug policy and the rights of people who use drugs.
He holds a BSc in Political Science from the University of Zimbabwe and an MA in Public Policy and Management from the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has also completed specialised courses in human rights, drug policy and global health diplomacy.
As a finalist in The List Awards 2026, Box sees the recognition as an opportunity to bring greater visibility to communities that are often marginalised and to the work being done to influence Zimbabwe’s approach to drug use.
But the award is not the end goal.
For Box, the work remains personal. His focus is on challenging stigma, expanding access to support and ensuring that other families facing drug-related challenges have options that his own family struggled to find. What began with the loss of a loved one has become a sustained campaign for change.