PHM-Exch> Help needed for adult drug users

[Claudio Schuftan]

CAN ANYBODY HELP WITH SOME ADVICE?
Claudio

From: Bro.Ronald Drahozal C.S.C apon at citechco.net

Greetings---

I get phm-exchange material and read a good bit of it. At times the thought
comes to me if  PHM has any information-on or if you are even aware of a
situation in Bangladesh that I am very concerned about and therefore very
interested in doing something about----and am doing what little I can.

Here in Dhaka, Bangladesh I have been working with drug addicts for over 22
years. Although American by birth I am now also a Bangladeshi citizen who
came here 48 years ago as a teacher.

My concern are the estimated 250-300,000 street children in Dhaka
alone---many/ most are addicted to something---surely cigarettes, video
games and a very large proportion to sniffing glue, sleeping
tablets(defensive--if caught and beaten when stealing they do not feel the
pain), marijuana, alcohol, etc. Drugs are my concern---but many of the
present street children drug addicts will continue to live on the street (if
they do not die, go to prison, return home, etc.) and will in time be street
adults. At present in what is referred to as Central Dhaka there are street
adults, some of whom were street children, now IDU and 10% +/- HIV Positive.

Now these street children drug addicts---potential street adults HIV
Positive slash and share blades and blood to be "blood friends" ; some are
IDUs and share needles, etc. BUT the Global Funds, USAID funded projects,
etc. have loads of money but there is a gap in who they cover----this gap
is NOT by race, religion, gender, etc. BUT THIS GAP IS BY AGE. These
international programs are restricted by donors-----USAID for example, that
have an age limit----over 18 years of age. So I have been serving street
drug addicts in Bangladesh----the only such centre in the whole country, for
many years now but cannot find any donors to help support what I am doing
because even Save the Children admits that although they have Children in
their title, they do not have any funds for street children drug addicts/
IDUs.

These children have a basic human right to good health--including effective
treatment and rehabilitation for the sickness of drug addiction---which
could help these street children from becoming street adult IDUs and HIV
Positive.

Now what can be done? How do I find support for these children denied their
basic human right to good health including effective rehabilitation for the
sickness of drug addiction? I have never turned away a single drug addict in
my 22 years of serving them because he/she could not pay a single
paisa/cent, etc. but it is a constant struggle to provide them residential
rehabilitation care including primary education and skill training---some do
not even know where the family they ran away from lives now; some will not
return home because of a step-mother; some have some contact with family but
have lived on the streets using drugs for so long that they cannot adjust to
life where they were born (I do not say home----most of them feel more at
home on the street than with those who gave them life).

They want to stay free of drugs but if they return to the street very few
are able to stay free of drugs very long----some have been on the streets so
long they do not remember how long, some who come to us are 7-8 and have
used drugs for years. But these children can not get their human right to
good health including effective rehabilitation anyplace except at APON.

What do I do?  The HIV experts agree with me---but they must follow the
rules of the donors----nobody legally can get help below the age of 18. I do
not have a program for  male adult addicts under such a program so I cannot
even help these boys in such a program illegally.

We have separate rehab program for male and females. Among the usual 120 or
so residents are 40-45 boys/ youngsters ages 7-8 to 15-16. Of these
120----around half pay little or nothing so we constantly struggle to
provide drug addicts of all social-economic status, gender and age their
basic human right to good health----but..............

You may say---this is not your line of concern----Is it possible to include
this problem in your line of concern? Money is a problem---but actually the
main problem here is---first that even after 2-3 years of telling everybody
about the problem, some agree, it is beginning to be included in some policy
statements  but nobody I know has money to put their talk into walk/ action.


Bro. Ronald Drahozal, CSC

APON (Addiction Rehabilitation Residence)
APONGAON
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