Months after they’ve been addicted to drugs, a group of Johannesburg homeless young people want to turn a new leaf in life.
They are from different backgrounds but they have a common enemy addiction. Hlalefang Motsepe and Blessing Mahlangu, both 28, remind each other of wrong decisions that landed them in the streets.
“I have committed house breaking and this guy that I stole from I am scared of him, that’s why I ran away to come to Johannesburg. At the same time I got an addiction problem of heroine,” says Motsepe.
“Myself I saw that I smoke in front of the young siblings I am tired of seeing them having pain because of my addiction. So I decided if I am away from them, it’s a less stress for them,” says Mahlangu.
Despite having gone through rehabilitation programmes many return to the streets to feed their addiction.
“We need help from our government to stop these dealers who are dealing in drugs,” says street kid.
They don’t want more young people to end up like them.
Voice It In Action’s Kgothatso Moloto says: “We want to expand the programme where we can take them along with the others that we have selected starting of course in the community of Braamfontein giving them recycling jobs, making sure that they have the right equipment, well clothed so that people can identify with them in the community.”
This could just be the beginning of the road to a lasting recovery.
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