Sixteen-year-old Mina from Nepal grows up in a middle-class peasant family of six. Her parents, who are both illiterate and mildly mentally challenged, work hard to support the family. Mina lives with her younger sister with their grandmother, who looks after them. With her grandmother, she has a strong bond. Her early childhood is stable and she performs well in school.
Moving
When her grandmother falls ill, Mina's life changes. She is sent to Pokhara to live with relatives, first with her aunt and later with her uncle. The sudden separation from her grandmother upsets her emotionally. She struggles to adjust to the new environment, feels lonely and her school performance deteriorates.
Reverse
In 10th grade, Mina falls under negative peer influence. She spends more time with friends, neglects her schoolwork and experiments with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. Although she is not a regular user, she develops a habit of running away from home, hanging out with male friends and exhibiting stubborn and angry behaviour. Her family's attempts to counsel her fail and she is eventually admitted to ACN's treatment programme in Pokhara.
Therapy and lessons towards recovery
During the programme, Mina slowly begins to understand why she has been hospitalised. Through therapy and classes, she realises how her behaviour has hurt her family and how she has been misled by peer pressure. She learns to manage her anger, respect others and value family relationships. The support, structured schedule and self-efficacy training help her change. She also learns to do crafts and sew. This gives her self-confidence and hope for the future.
Positive change
After four months of treatment, Mina shows remarkable progress. She started off withdrawn and unstable but now communicates clearly, is disciplined and takes responsibility. She has rejoined her family, who are thrilled with her positive change. Mina plans to continue her studies while continuing to sew. She is also determined to avoid bad company and move forward with a positive attitude.
Diaconate CGK supports women like Mina from Jesus’ love to get out of addiction problems.
For the privacy of the girl in question, we have used a pseudonym and a generic photo in this article.