I am Renisha. That's not my real name, but this is my story.
Since the age of 16, I had been using drugs. I lived with my parents. When I was six, my parents moved to Pokhara and I went to an English-speaking secondary school in the city. Since I could not read and write in Nepali there, I got poor grades and could not keep up. My father was addicted to alcohol and did not care about us. My mother was the breadwinner of our family, but as a daily wage labourer, she did not earn enough to meet our needs. I dropped out of school when I was 14 years old. To help my mother financially, I went to work in a friend's restaurant. There, unfortunately, I also learnt to smoke cigarettes and started using various drugs belonging to my friend. We were very good friends, but when she got married, I was left alone. I was very depressed and tried more drugs. Soon I was caught in a net of cigarettes, marijuana and prostitution.
Time passed and I fell in love with a man who also used drugs. Together, we decided to quit drugs. I went to the addiction clinic Nawajeewan Centre and completed my three-month treatment there. I went back, but when I came back and saw my friends using drugs, I relapsed. This time, I even started using new types.
Under the influence of drugs, I had an accident on my scooter and broke my hands and legs. Despite those broken bones, I was still injecting. Because of my accident, I could no longer continue working in prostitution. I started feeling lonely, helpless and insecure. I even sold my mobile phone to get money for drugs.
Over time, I started feeling guilty about my drug use. I made an appointment at Nawajeewan and entered that addiction clinic for the second time. This time, I stayed longer at the treatment centre. I attended different kinds of training and picked up my education again. I went to school in the mornings and helped at the centre in the afternoons. Here, I got the chance to take various vocational and leadership training courses. This helped me develop my capabilities. I used what I had learnt and my experience as a former drug user to encourage other women drug and alcohol users to quit, to make them aware of their problem and inspire them to seek help at the addiction clinic.
I have since successfully completed my training and treatment. There, I also had the opportunity to learn various skills to earn a living with dignity. With Nawajeewan's help, I achieved victory over my addiction and became self-reliant. I am immensely proud that I was able to complete my education. Today, I work in Nawajeewan, improving the lives of other people who have gone through the same. I am grateful to God and the people of Nawejeewan for the change in my life.
As CGK, we support the Nawejeewan addiction clinic in Nepal.
