After spending ten weeks in Kenya, a Bermudian mental health expert has vowed to tackle two of the African nation’s most serious problems: drug addiction and religious radicalisation.

Maxim Alkon is seeking funding from the country’s government to implement his initiatives, having partnered with the Kenyan Institute of Professional Counselling.

Mr Alkon lived primarily in Mombasa between early March and mid-May, and was appalled to find boys as young as nine being treated for heroin and cocaine addiction.

“Many of these children are from broken homes and they live on the street,” the South Shore native said.

“They aren’t really used to people spending time with them and taking an interest in them.

“I brought some soccer balls, we talked and they invited me to play with them. They were great, smiling and laughing throughout.”

Having met with government officials, Mr Alkon is proposing a substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation project to ensure that these vulnerable young people don’t end up as tragic statistics.

As well as providing sporting equipment to the children, the initiative would involve counsellors entering Mombasa’s roughest areas to gather feedback and discern new ways of approaching the problem.

Mr Alkon is also eager to join the fight against Islamic extremism in Kenya.

The country has suffered multiple attacks in recent years, including a 2013 mass shooting in a Nairobi shopping mall which left 67 people dead.

A specialist in dealing with difficult clients, the 38-year-old has previously helped neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members in American prisons, and is confident that he can make a difference in battling destructive fundamentalism in Africa.

“There are some similar components here, because people with KKK and Nazi affiliations also consider themselves to be religious,” he said.

“If you find an extremist and put them in jail, that doesn’t change anything.

“We’re trying to develop relationships with the Islamic community, finding out what these people’s concerns are and understanding what kind of therapeutic assistance they need.”

Currently based in Bermuda, Mr Alkon is compiling two follow-up proposals for the Kenyan Government while also planning an affordable workshop closer to home, to help people on the island manage their personal issues.

He is excited by the prospect of returning to Kenya, but only when the time is right.

“These things take time, but the Government has expressed interest in both projects and we’re going to keep working until we get those green lights,” he said.