They say true character is shown in times of adversity.
Despite their hardship, three men in Krugersdorp remain positive and are doing all they can to not only change their lives around but also make a difference in the community.
Brothers Michael and Richard Jones along with their friend Kevin Lombard have spent most of their lives on the streets of Krugersdorp. With no place to stay and nothing to keep them productive, the men were heavily involved in drugs for a long time but then decided to change.
Michael, who is 33 years old, describes his situation as nothing short of horrible as a result of drug addiction. He gave a backstory of how he became an addict.
“I had a very tough upbringing. I was very depressed and saw first-hand what addictions such as alcoholism can lead to. Through my father I witnessed abuse. I also then became an alcoholic,” Michael said.
He added that he dropped out of school at a very young age due to his family needing financial support shortly after his father abandoned the family. From then onwards he would work as a mechanic at a local panel beater. Life seemed better but changed in an instance when his partner at the time called and said she wanted to end the relationship. From there on, things took a turn for the worse.
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“I got into drugs because I associated myself with the wrong people. It all stemmed from peer pressure”. His life went downhill from there and Michael even spent two years in prison for petty crimes.
Kevin (23) found himself in a similar situation and wants youngsters to learn from his mistakes. The same can be said for Richard, aged 32.
From drug abuse, homelessness, and crime, the trio has taken it upon themselves to change.
With Mogale City having decrypt infrastructure and many of the public parks being in poor condition, they decided to do something good and give the community a facelift.
”Being an addict and on the street is unpleasant. Many people look down on us. They do not want us near them but to be fair, we understand why,” Kevin said.
The men have since found themselves playing an important role in cleaning up the community and volunteering in community outreach programmes to not only keep themselves busy and out of trouble but also provide a helping hand to the community with their latest clean-up projects.
“We have been off drugs for five months. We are also not thinking of going back because we want our lives to be better. We haven’t contacted any specialist or been in a rehab facility,” Kevin said.
To do this, the trio support each other and hold each other accountable to ensure they do not give in to their temptations.
”It’s not just about us. We want to return to our families and make amends while making a difference in the community.”
The three men have started a small gardening business and offer some of their services for free and hope their story will inspire anyone going through addiction.
“We speak to anyone without a job to join and offer free services in cleaning up the municipality.”
They leave the community with a positive message for anyone going through hard times.
“Keep God close and go to church, if you feel the need for change go for it. It doesn’t matter how small it is.”
