tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9376955051394560712024-02-20T09:44:46.043-08:00Voices of CeylonA place for stories, news, photos & links from the Community Concern Society about issues in Sri LankaCCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01212580021593971988noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937695505139456071.post-45499966263497920262012-03-16T01:29:00.001-07:002012-03-16T01:29:24.608-07:00SunilSunil was three years old when his father was abducted by
the government during the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) uprising. His father was
never seen again, leaving the family in a state of shock, grief and uncertainty.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span>My mother couldn't even find the body.<span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span> <span style="font-size: small;">- Sunil</span></em></span> </blockquote>
In the midst of her grief and without help or any stable income, Sunil's mother struggled to take care of Sunil and his older sister. Poor and unstable, she had no other choice than to sell their property in Kandy to move to Colombo in order to meet the needs of her family<br />
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The greater tragedy of the loss of his father, though, was
the bareness it left in Sunil. Sunil missed out on the simple joys between
father and son; joys that others take for granted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although nothing could replace his father, he
needed something to fill the hollowness he felt.</div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span>This emptiness in my life led me to a search for fulfillment. During this search I traveled down many roads which almost led me to total ruin.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span> - Sunil</em></blockquote>
The road that led him closest to ruin began at age 13 when
he began smoking and drinking heavily. It was only a matter of time before his
road led him to illegal drugs and eventually to an addiction of the maestro drug
of them all, heroin. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">“</span><em><span style="font-size: large;">It made me easy to forget who I was and I would gain a
sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">”</span> – Sunil </em></blockquote>
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His life was engulfed by heroin. As with heroin addiction,
he needed more and more to live in the addiction’s creation of reality and to
feel this fictitious sense of wholeness. He was taking up to four doses a day –
and living in a culture where the drug is everywhere and priced to sell to the
lowest of classes, it was never hard to find his next fix. But with every
manifested fulfillment came an equal and existent emotional and physical
plummet. The effects of heroin were taking a violent toll on Sunil’s body,
causing physical pain whenever the drug left his system.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“</span>I couldn’t eat or drink or sleep without heroin. As a
result my entire life was torn apart – I was a complete wreck.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">”</span> – Sunil</em> </blockquote>
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At his lowest, Sunil attempted suicide.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span>Life was just not worth it.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">”</span> – Sunil</em></blockquote>
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Sunil was desperate. He knew his life needed to change but
didn’t know the road to take. One day Sunil visited his mother to ask for money.
Her reply to his request was a plead for him to stop using drugs. <br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“</span>She stared at me as though I was a dead man.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">”</span> – Sunil</em> </blockquote>
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Sunil admitted his desire to get out of his situation but
was lost as to how. His mother became his reason, his support and his compass –she
led him to Power House.<br />
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He was in Power House for six months where the emptiness
that had consumed him was filled with love and support. </div>
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After his rehabilitation period was done and Sunil was
released, he stayed with Power House to help other men like him. It has been 19
years since he was admitted to Power House, and he’s been clean every day of
it. </div>CCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01212580021593971988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937695505139456071.post-10648851226497159172012-03-14T02:26:00.001-07:002012-03-14T02:26:44.707-07:00IngridThe effects that homelessness, domestic violence and human
trafficking have on women are not restricted to the physical evidence that
protrudes from malnourished bodies, bruised skin and broken bones – the damage
runs through their veins and is engrained on their souls. The women who befall
these ill fates are in need of more than physical assistance. They need a hand
to hold while they learn to respect, love and cherish themselves again as well
as someone they can trust to help carry the undeserved burden that has been so
cruelly placed upon them. Heavena is the helping hand and trusted friend to aid
these women in their journey to personal healing, strength and independence,
and Ingrid is one of the many women who put her faith in Heavena. <br />
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Ingrid’s misfortune began with an addiction she could not
control – her father’s addiction to liquor. She soon found this addiction would
not only control her father, but would also seal her own fate. Treading in a
pool of debt to an illicit liquor agent, Ingrid’s father shamelessly offered
her as the final payment to settle his balance. The liquor agent accepted, and
the two of them were married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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In one foul swoop Ingrid became a possession, a currency, a
wife, a mistress and a mother. The agent was already married and was living
with his two children while their mother was in the Middle East. Ingrid was to
look after these children while their mother was gone. About a month after they
married, the agent began to unremorsefully beat Ingrid. At one time his beating
was so severe he broke Ingrid’s arm. His beatings didn’t even subside after she
became the mother of two more of his children. When the agent received news
that his first wife was returning he showed Ingrid he wanted her gone through
even more severe beatings. Ingrid gathered up what little money she had, took
her two children and left. </div>
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She hoped on the first bus she could and rode it to the end
of its route, in Pettah. A man found her lost and crying and after she told him
her tragic story, he offered her help. He brought her to the top of a lane and
told her to walk down to a shelter at the end of it. The people in the shelter
found a room for her with a pastor’s wife, where she stayed for two weeks until
the shelter could accommodate her.</div>
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Because of Ingrid, the shelter opened a unique unit for
battered and homeless women and children. Because of Ingrid Heavena was
created. During her stay she was counseled through her violent past. With help
from the women at Heavena, Ingrid was able to regain her confidence and sense
of self worth. She received an education through a Montessori course and is now
a teacher in the Tiny Stars Montessori while her two children attend a
government school. For the first time in her life she was able to take her future
into her own hands and become the strong, independent woman she was born to be.<o:p> </o:p></div>CCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01212580021593971988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937695505139456071.post-88857911227099821402012-03-13T23:49:00.001-07:002012-03-14T00:22:40.061-07:00Welcome!!Welcome to CCS's new blog. This will be a place to keep you updated on CCS news and share success stories and other related links, stories and information. CCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01212580021593971988noreply@blogger.com0