“I work as a coolie at the vegetable market and it is all I know to do. I came to work at a very young age of 6. I started doing all kinds of odd jobs like delivering tea to factory workers and collecting plastic from landfills. As I started to grow, I was approached to do other kinds of work like delivering objects from one area to another through a vehicle. I was in charge of loading and unloading goods from one area to another. Today I am 60 years old and I continue to do this job. My wife works as a house help in a posh neighbourhood and together we have managed to raise two great kids and have them settled. Anyone who becomes a slave to alcohol becomes a slave to everyone else in this world. Many times I have been lured to perform odd duties with the reward of giving me a bottle of alcohol. My health started to deteriorate badly and I was given an ultimatum. You can say that is when I started to realise the potent effect of this vice on me. I applied to various deaddiction programs and I have been sober for the past 5 years. No matter who comes into your life, your family alone will be present to help you sail through your hard times. I took mine for granted for so many years and it took a life or death situation to bring this realisation in me. Now I try to do a hard day’s labour without getting into much trouble and lead a peaceful life.”

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