A mid-South Coast local and former addict, who would like to go by ‘Mr S’ has been passing along a message of hope and sharing his personal story in order to motivate others to strive to do better, and is a living testament that recovery is possible.
He is now the CEO of the local non-profit organisation Laqakhaza Iphara Recovery which was founded to provide solutions to those battling drug and or alcohol addiction.
Mr S himself battled with alcohol and drugs for many years, and after a sequence of events, he decided enough was enough and chose to change for the better in July 2003.
“Recovery is about wanting a new way in life, and if you are desperate enough to want this, you can do it like I did,” he said.
“It’s not that difficult to stop, but it is challenging.”
Mr S explained that with determination, joining the right people, avoiding bad places and changing one’s habits and behaviour, recovery is possible.
“It’s all about the choices people make, and choosing to reach out for help shows that an addict is not weak, but in fact has a lot of strength to do so.”
Mr S believes that no one truly understands an addict like another addict, and therefore uses his life experiences to help others.
He also mentioned that a part of recovery is about people going to any lengths for recovery and being able to follow the suggestions of people who went through similar situations.
Mr S and the NPO have made it known to the public many times that addiction is a medically diagnosed disease, yet it is treated as a crime instead.
“A number of addicts get involved in petty crimes to support their habits and then get arrested and a criminal record follows,” said Mr S.
“Due to their record they find difficulties in finding a job, and therefore turn to crime again. It’s just a vicious cycle.”
The NPO has been trying to assist people not just locally, but throughout the country to want to do better and achieve sobriety.
Rehabilitation centres are costly, so the NPO offers what many people can’t afford. With people like Emmanuel Msomi, founder and president of Laqakhaza Iphara Recovery and former addict, and Mr S on board, it is a clear indication to addicts that recovery is possible.
The goal is for Mr S and the team to create affordable rehab to suit everyone’s pockets, and in order to achieve this, public support is necessary.
Mr S asks the public to help him, Emmanuel, and the Laqakhaza team make a difference in the lives of addicts.
“By supporting our fundraisers or offering sponsorships, we hope that one day we will have the funds to open up a centre properly equipped to change many lives.”
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