[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Remember Tashriek, who shared his story with us on Facebook on 6 February 2017? We caught up with him in January 2018, to see how he is doing. For those of you who missed his story, here is a quick recap.
Tashriek was on drugs for nearly 18 years and lived on the street for six of these. Because of his addiction, Tashriek had no relationship with his family anymore. He had lost all hope for life. After a series of miraculous events, he found himself at a drug rehab center, being sponsored by U-turn to attend. After completing his rehabilitation, he joined the U-turn Life Change Program, where he learned work and life skills. After a year on Life Change, Tashriek graduated in September 2017 and got a job in the fibreglass industry.
Tashriek now says, “After leaving U-turn – despite being 19 months sober – I still had huge challenges in the open labour market. My environment at work was riddled with unsavoury characters from all over the Cape Flats, with some guys using drugs and others drinking. It is not easy working in the storeroom, the guys make you angry, and I need to control myself. I’m building on the lessons that U-turn taught me and I am learning to handle my anger and other character defects better.
I was called in to the office two months ago, and wondered if I had done something wrong? To my surprise, I was blessed to be offered a permanent position at the company, as they had been very impressed with my work.
My plans for the future are to get established at my job and have my own accommodation. I am saving money each month, as I learnt at U-turn. I also now have a great relationship again with my sons and visit them often.”
*This story appears in the U-turn annual report. To read more, you can click here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]