This is the heartfelt story of Benji*, as told to Abbey, one of the staff members at S.A.L.V.E International:
“Initially I was brought up with my parents who were loving and supportive. They sent me to school and cared about my progress. One holiday, my aunt from Jinja asked me to spend some time at her place since she didn’t have any children. Unfortunately, she was working most of the time and did not talk to me much, so I made friends to play with while my aunt was away. This group knew the entire city and we would explore and go to the cinema and parties. I always arrived home before my aunt as she did not tolerate lateness and noise and was tough on discipline. However one night I lost track of time and was too afraid to return home so decided to stay in the city.
Survival skills
During the night, I met a group of street boys who welcomed me and accepted me into their group. I decided to stay on the street as this became the family I loved the most as I wasn’t controlled by any rules or regulations. I was introduced to street life and they showed me how to make money while on the street and survival skills. I started using mafuta (airplane fuel), one of the drugs used by many living on the streets to keep warm, especially at night. As time went on, I became addicted to mafuta and I couldn’t function without it. On many occasions, the team from S.A.L.V.E. International tried as much as possible to get me back home and off drugs but I was very hesitant. The drugs started really affecting me; I lost stability regularly and developed memory loss. I became shaky and incontinent and whenever I was eating, I would bite my tongue and lips. I was on the verge of losing my life, but it felt too difficult to quit the street.
Recovery and hope
One evening, I was so ill that S.A.L.V.E. staff picked me up from the street and took me to their residential site. There I stayed at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, where I spent a lot of time recovering. It wasn’t easy progress for me, but I truly appreciate all the efforts by the team who helped me become free from my addiction so I can lead a happy and healthier life. I no longer experience the horrible side effects and am hopeful for my future. I am looking forward to meeting my family again with support and guidance from the staff at S.A.L.V.E.”
*Name changed in line with our Child Protection Policy
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