"ArecenttestingofclientsatSankalpshows

43%

positive

withHCV

(Seepg.3)#15NOVEMBER2011

VIEWSANDVOICES

God

iswith

Thereisnodoubtaboutthisfact.ThroughoutthegrowthofSankalpRehabilitationTrust,thehandoftheAlmightyhasbeenveryapparentinthewaysthatwehavebeenabletofacevariouschallenges,andenhanceourwork.ThiswasoncemoreevidentinthemannerinwhichwereceivedthefundingfromtheALF(AnnikaLindenFoundation).WithournetworkingpartnerTheLordsRanchTrustgivingussuchabeautifulcenter-GoodShepherdRecoveryHorneatMulshi-wewereindireneedofadetoxificationcentrewhereclientschoosingabstinencecoulddetoxifybeforestartingthe4-monthRehabprogramatGoodShepherd.WithassurancefromfriendsinDelhithatanyproposalfromSankalpwouldgetstrongbacking,IassumeditwouldbeeasytoobtainagrantfromtheMinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment.SoIdecidedtofillanapplicationinaproposalformatandsubmittedittothe'SamajKalyanAdhikari'atThane.Thereweredirectandindirectmessagesformoneytobepaidupfrontifthefilehadtomove.Frombeingtoldthat"thefilewouldonlymovewithsome'weight'placedonit"to,"mybosswillaskmehowmuchhashe[Eldred]filledyourpockets?",Iheardallpleas.UsingALLourmeansof'connection',ittook7monthstomovethefiletprune.AtthatpointIwasdirectlytoldbysomeShivajiMorethatwithoutmoney,thefilewouldbe'sentback'toThaneandthatiswhathappened.JustwhenIthoughtthatthisfrustratingexperiencehadputthoughtsofanewdetoxcentretorest,GodsentusMarkWeingard,founderofALF,whoaskedwhatourmosturgentneedfor.supportwas,andimmediatelymaderesourcesavailabletosupportthenewcentre.TrulyaGodsend!Withsuchgoodsigns,thenewdetoxcentrebeganitsworkinVithalwadion23rdMarch

2011.

BythetimetheALFTrusteesandstaffvisitedon1stJune2011,thecentrewasrunningtofullcapacity.Wehaveagoodteamofstaffwhogetalongverywellandtakeprideindoingeffectiveworkthroughthenewcentre.Brownsugarinjectors,chasersandalcoholicscanaccesshelp,anddecidetogoforRehabtreatmentas

well,

Wearealsotryingtoshifttoabiggerspace,butknowingtheratesinMumbaianditsimmediatesurroundings,

willnotbeeasy.Yet,whenGodiswithus,everythingispossible!

StaffattheopeningoftheCenter

DarkSilhouettes

ArticleContributedbyMrs.

N.J.

Modi(Volunteer)

39yearoldDayaSinghpaintsishandsome,withsharpfeatures,atallandmuscularframeandapowerfulpersonality.Behindthosewiseandageingeyes,hehidestheshadowofsomedreadfulexperiencesandseriousmistakes.BornandbroughtupinslumsofMumbai,DayaSingh'slifebeganasmodestandhappy.Hebelongedtoafamilyoffour,includingparentsandayoungbrother.HisfatherwasaservantinthehomeofthelegendarymovieartistKishoreKumar;moneyflowedinsteadilyandthefamilyledadecentlife.ThetwobrothersattendedanEnglishmediumSchool,consideredveryprestigiousintheircommunity.However,badtimessoonfelluponthefamily.DayaSingh'smother'sdied,andsoonthefather'semployeerpassedonaswell.Joblessandlonely,hisfathertooktooccasionaldrinkingandpaidlessattentiontohisimpressionableteenagesons.Moneywasstillavailabletotheboysandtheygainedreputationsforcarryingmoremoneyintheirpocketsthananyboyintheirlocalitycouldeverafford.Theboysstartedtospendtheirfundsondrinkingatcommunityfestivalsandreferredtothemselvesas"shyaana"(streetsmart).DayaSinghevenpurchaseda'chaku'(smallknife)thathefrequentlyshowedofftoestablishpowerandself-imposedauthority.Theirfathertooexpiredafewyearslater,andtheboyswerelefttofendforthemselves.Bythistime,theyconsumedalcoholregularlyandhadbecomelocalgoons.Thebrotherswerealsointroducedtotheseeminglyfascinatingandmysteriousworldofdrugs,andtooktheirfirststepsinthedarkworld.DayaSinghbegansupplyingcoughsyrupmanufacturedbyaleadingpharmaceuticalcompany,toNepal.Atthattime,thesyrupwasavailableforRs10/-perbottleinMumbaiandRs.50/-inNepal.Thetransactionwasillegalofcourse,butthemoneywasgood.Sometimelater,DayaSinghgotinvolvedintraffickingofbrownsugarattheNepalborder.Atthesametime,hispersonalconsumptionofdrugsroserapidly.TheneedtoearnmoneyincreasedsignficantlyandhedecidedtostartaroadsideeateryoppositetheIncomeTaxofficeatChurchgatearea.Thejointofferedawholesomeandnutritiousmeal,andhisbusinessgrewasheemployed6people.Still,inthelateevenings,hesoldillegallyimportedshoesintheChurchgateareaoftown.ThemoneyearnedfrombothbusinesseswasgoodandcouldhavechangedDayaSingh'slifeforthebetter.However,hewasdrawntowardshisdrughabitandthepresenceofmoneyinhislifefurtherpropelledhisdrugusage.Ashefelldeeperintothepitofaddiction,DayaSinghwasunabletomanageandmaintainhisbusiness,anditclosed.Hissuppliersloanedhimmoneyforatimebutstoppedwhentheysurmisedthathewasnevergoingtorecover.Tokeepthemoneyflowingin,heresortedtocrimeandbecameanextortionist.HisnewjobinvolvedextortingmoneyfrominnocentmigrantsupontheirarrivalinMumbai.,DayaSinghbulliedandrobbed

Dayawithhis'recovering'family!

migrantsandtouristsatV.T.StationandCrawfordMarketusinghischaku,hugephysiqueandloudvoiceasascaretactic.Hequicklygainedthemoniker"Singh"andbecameacommonnameinlocalpolicestations.Oncecaught,hewasthrashedbythepoliceanddevelopedaseriousfearofbeingcaughtagain.Bythen,hisbodywasweakenedbydrugabuseandpolicebeatings.Ashedwelledinthatmiserablecondition,hebegantothinkofthelifehecouldhavechosentolead.Hedreamtthathewasagoodcitizenleadinganormallife.Heimaginedthathehadawifeandchildren.Itmadehimhappytodaydreamthathis(imaginary)wifepackeda'dabba'(lunchbox)forhimeverydaywhileheleftforhis(imaginary)workplace.ButDayaSingh'srealitywasstillfarremovedfromthelifehedreamtof.Hebecamearagpicker,withnohomeorextraclothes.Heknewhedesperatelyneededhelpbutcouldn'tbringhimselftoaskforit.HecarriedonwiththisexistenceuntilhisbodyfinallygavewayonedayandhecollapsedatCrossMaidan,Mumbai.Hethoughthehadapproacheddeathashelostcontrolofhisbladderandbowels.Drenchedinthefilthproducedbyhisownbody,hemusteredthestrengthtoapproachthebuildingofSankalpRehabilitationTrust.Here,hewasgivenmedicalattentionandkeptinacleanandsanitisedenvironment

fit

forrehabilitation.Hewalkedoutpromisingnevertofallintothedrugtrapagain.,18monthslater,hesuccumbedonceagain.ButhesoonreturnedtoSankalp,thistimewithastrongerresolvetoheal.Withthesupportand

understandingoftheNGOstaff,DayaSinghpulledhimselfoutofhisdrugusage.Hishealthstartedtoimproveandhismindandsoulwererefreshed.Hewasastrongermanandhefeltadeepdesiretobepartofafamilyandtakeupanhonestjob.DayaSinghfoundemploymentwiththeveryNGOthatsavedandimprovedhislifeSankalp.HisfateledhimtomeetanotherclientatSankalp,Haseena.Shehadatroubledpast,andtwoteenagesonswhowerealsoinvolvedwithdrugs.Herhusbandhadahistoryofviolence,aresultofwhichshetoobecameaheavydruguser.Inseveredepression,HaseenafoundsolaceandasupportinDayaSingh.Findinggreatencouragementfromeachothers'lifestories,DayaSinghandHaseenadecidedtofusetheirlivestogether.WithblessingsfromtheCentreauthoritiestheymarried,andhevowedtohelpherbecomerehabilitatedaswell.Today,fouryearslater,DayaSinghandHaseenaarebothsober,leadingnormallives.DayaSinghservseasanoutreachworkerwithSankalpandHaseenaworksasahospitalmaid.Thecouplehaveensuredthattheirsonshavealsoovercometheiraddictions.BoththesonswerealsorehabilitatedattheGoodShepherdRecoveryHomeatPunewhichisbeingrunby5ankalpDirector.Theyhavebeenreintegratedintothemainstreamandhavedignifiedjobs.Thefamilyincomeismeagreandtheyliveinarentedplace,butDayaSinghhasfoundhispieceofheaveninthelittlepleasuresoflife.Heproudlycarriesthe'dabba'preparedbyHaseena,towork.Hehasafamilytocallhisownandatlonglasthehasfoundhappiness.

HepC,Acauseforconcern

HepatitisCalsoknownasHCVonlygotitsnamein1989.50itwasunheardofbefore1989,

wascalled'Non

NonB'.

ismuchstrongerthanHIVandcan'stayalive'outsidethebodyforalongertimeandthatisthemainreasonwhyitspreadsfasterthanHIVaswell.Todaythereareanestimated14to

millionpeoplelikelytobeinfectedwithHCVinthecountryandthatismanytimesthefiguresforHIV,Yet.thereissilenceaboutthisvirus.ThetransmissionofthevirusisthroughthesameroutesasHIValthoughinthecaseofHCVtheinfectedneedlerouteismanytimesmorethanthesexualroute.AndthisisthemainreasonwhySankalphastobeconcerned.Theinjectingdrugusercommunityisthemaingroupaffectedandwiththepossibleco-infectionwithHIV,itisakillercombination.JustimaginethatthebattlewithHIVisonandthenoneistoldthataweakliverduetoHCVisnothelpingthetreatmentprocess!Inapanic,theindividualwantstotreattheHCVimmediatelyonlytofindthatitiscompletelyoutofreach.Eightlacseventytwothousandfora

weekcourse?Everyonedoesnothavelandtosellortheirwife'sjewellerytomortgagelikesomepatientsinNorthEastIndia.Thosewhomanagethetreatmentareoftenleftwithasenseofguiltthattheirpeersdonothavethesameaccesstotreatment.Andthishighpriceisattributedtothepatentsgrantedonthekeymedicinewithoutmuchthought.ThetreatmentwhichconsistsofPegInterferonandRibavariniscostlymainlyduetothepatentsgrantedtoRocheandScheringPloughonPegInterferon.PegylationisaprocessbywhichtheInterferoniscoatedwithPolyethyleneglycolsothatthereisaslowreleaseandthedrugactsforalongerduration.Thisreducesthesideeffects,helpingtheadherencetotreatment.InterferonisaknownsubstanceandPegylationisaprocessalreadydonewithotherdrugsaswell.Soisthepatentjustified?Yourguessisasgoodasmine.ArecenttestingofclientsatSankalpshows

43%

positivewithHCV.ThisiswellbelowthefiguresforInjectingdruguserswhichrangefrom

70%

90%.

EvenaMumbaicohorttestedin

2003

showedaprevalenceof

80%.

Althoughthesefiguresbythemselvesarenotindicativeofanyserioustrend,wewouldliketobelievethattheHIVpreventioneffortswithourclientsarepayingdividends.

iswiththisbeliefthatwewouldurgetheGovernmenttointensifyandstrengthenprogrammestobeginaddressingpreventionnotonlyforHIVbutalsoforHCV.WhenIfirstattemptedHarmReductioninManipurwaybackin1992,itwaswithbleachdistributiontopreventHIV.Evenwiththeknowledgethatitwasnotcontributingmuch,Itoiledonand

broughtaboutawarenessamongthosegroupswhowereimportanttothecause.Soletusgettogetherandringthealarmbellssothatotherswilljoinandwehaveamovementgoingforward.