Building resilience

In two village houses with a view of sparkling blue sea, a dozen young women are at work: learning book-keeping, preparing PowerPoint slideshows, playing the piano. Students, but also offenders. Sentenced to prison, they were lucky to be given a choice: rehabilitation on Lamma Island at the Barnabas Charitable Service Association, supervised by Bella Chan.

In peace and quiet, the women aged 19 upwards have time to reflect on their past, learn to stay calm and discover skills for the future. Bella used to teach physical education. Now, her experience gives her the wisdom to create balance and she says she teaches “with Jesus’ love.” Along with lessons on drug prevention, the students do bible study and learn health and hygiene, IT, accounting and cooking.

Take Emily, for example. Hallucinatory drugs could have been the end of her but just in time she was taken to a psychiatric ward and eventually sent to Lamma. Very overweight as withdrawal symptoms took effect, she was determined never to go back to her old ways. Instead, Emily focused on exercise and lost half of the 100kg she once weighed. She likes to recite from the bible and write about her life. She makes PowerPoint presentations showing days of hiking, gardening, kayaking and climbing. She speaks poignantly about her life at the centre and her fondness of Bella, about the normal life she wants. “But I also dream of seeing the world. I have never left Hong Kong and hope travelling will be possible again, one day.” Then, there’s Ah Wah, a mother already with an eleven year old in boarding school. “They call me Ten-KWah, I love running and can do 10 kilometres,” she says with a cheeky grin. “I’ve been here for twoand-a-half years already but I’ll never take drugs again.” Ah Wah had to learn self-discipline after arrest for smuggling and detention at Hei Ling Chau. She left the prison to come to Lamma and rapidly put on weight, but like Emily, she is working hard to shake it off and looks forward to seeing her boy again. “Once, I used Ice to stay slim, but I love food, especially fish. I also love running and am down to 78kg. I’ve learned English, piano, drums, maths and typing, but the most important lesson here was how to be human.”

Nicole’s story begins with drugs at 16. The police caught her with a gram each of ketamine and cocaine: addicted and defiant. That was about a year ago. Now, she spends

by J Childs

her time learning book-keeping and with Bella’s coaching is taking her first public exam. Nicole has become a pianist and grows aloe vera to make a facial gel for her skin. Her dream of being a makeup artist one day. From a broken home, she came to the Barnabas centre with low expectations but has found high hopes. Although she misses the excitement of city life and hates the inescapable Lamma mosquitoes, she is happy. Drugs? Never again. What matters most is her teacher, Bella. “With her, I have found what was missing: love and affection.”

By teaching job skills and confidence-building strengths, Bella shows her students the way back to the real world. Although their timetable is disciplined, the activities are flexible. If Bella sees motivation, she adjusts the programme and learns new skills herself to pass on to the girls. She stresses the importance of communication, face to face, with the internet and phones banned.

“The students come from very mixed backgrounds and can be difficult. It is like a melting pot here and in the past, the local community was not happy about our centre.” But that all changed when one of the village chief’s family had a stroke. Bella’s skills helped her recover.

It is extremely difficult to break free from addiction. Some people never recover and others have their lives damaged by prejudice and discrimination. At the Barnabas centre, where success lies in discipline, motivation and empowerment, as well as the sense of being cared for, the goal is to show that, as Bella puts it, “All is possible. I help the girls conquer their fears, experience God’s love and make their dreams come true.”

With thanks to the Barnabas Charitable Service

Association which provides rehabilitation and recovery services for female drug abuse users looking to rebuild their lives. Values are centered on promoting a community spirit and mutual respect. The association’s work began in 1981 and its training centre moved into its present rural premises in 1990. The main service targets are girls and young women under the age of 40 although there is no strict age limit.

Residential programme 9 months at Lamma Training Centre and 3 months at Ma On Shan half-way House

Aftercare service 1-year

Tel 26401683. WhatsApp 52097575

E-mail mos-office@barnabas.org.hk

Web barnabas.com.hk