Saturday, May 15, 2010

Questionable Questions

It was past midnight, returning from a small get-together with a few friends I saw on the streets 2 kids roughly between 10 and 12 years old injecting each other with something. I was not entirely shocked, since I was working with substance abusing kids younger to these kids at SUPPORT! I really wanted to help them, which obviously was a foolish idea because you never know they might just inject me with the thing too! Hence, even though I was damn curious and reluctant on leaving, I did- for my own safety.
And then I came to “office” and talked to my boss about it. He gave me a wry smile as I blasted one question after another and listened patiently. Once I was out of questions and breathe he answered, “We are doing our best we can. It is not an easy process making these children get rid of their habits. Some of them have to stay here for ages so that they can let go of their addiction. It is not a 2 month or 2 month course which some of the institutions do around the world- that way the kid becomes a rebel. He’ll follow your orders for those 3 months and then get back to what he was doing. He needs proper direction and time to get rid of the urge of succumbing to the drugs.
My questions didn’t end there. I asked,” isn’t the gov’t to blame for this?”
“No, they can obviously help a lot more but it is not entirely their fault. It is not a human error either. This drug abuse thing has been going on for donkey’s years and is passed down along the years. Also, drugs have gone int’l the amount of stuff supplied from abroad is amazing.
People like the ones at SUPPORT and other NGO’s try their hardest to bring a change in society, maybe begin a process of reduction if not eradication of drugs! And then there is the gov’t who also tries hard by allotting land for the NGOs though at time their efforts need to be more!
How can a normal person or for that matter anyone help?
He said that it was only through being aware of such a problem and donations to the organization. With the resources I have I can manage only 100 kids in that building, with a little more space I would like to house a 1000 but the practicality of it doesn’t allow me to do so!
Few more institutions would make no sense instead if the staff all combined to form a big party then and carry out the work would be more of a success.

I don’t know how to end this piece. I didn’t know how to end the conversation we had when we did. I hope you can tell me about it!
A little?

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