Sharif started consuming marijuana and smack when he was just nine years old. Then came the injectible drugs. Soon an addict, money started becoming an issue. Obviously, the next step was crimes such as stealing and snatching.
Sharif started consuming marijuana and smack when he was just nine years old. Then came the injectible drugs. Soon an addict, money started becoming an issue. Obviously, the next step was crimes such as stealing and snatching.
But that was not even the worst of it. The Nizamuddin resident's family disowned him when he tested positive for HIV. He was also convicted for his crimes several times and sent to the Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre.
"I got into the bad habit of taking drugs. To arrange money, I started snatching chains and extorted people. My tolerance for drugs kept on increasing. So, I started injecting myself. I could have gone to any extent to satisfy my addiction," Sharif told DNA.
Finally, when he hit the rock bottom, there was no other way to go but up. In the last two years, Sharif has got a new lease of life, thanks to the four-module training programme at the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM).
The non-profit organisation runs a de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre for children in conflict with law. The training imparted to juvenile offenders includes basic education, emotional control, behavioural change, equality between men and women, vocational training, among other things. The modules include sharing with other participants, separate counselling for the most disturbed, life skill training, and practise.
The NGO has been conducting three-month programmes with juvenile offenders at their centre in Seva Kutir. A similar programme is being held at the Tihar Jail for inmates of jail number-7, reserved for juvenile offenders.
"The Tihar programme will continue for a year. The juvenile offenders will be taught several things. In addition, Dr Alok Assistant Professor, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, will hold counselling sessions," said Rajesh Kumar, Founder and Executive Director at SPYM.
Sharif now likes plumbing and wants to start his own business. "After coming to SPYM, I realised that I have someone to speak to and everybody lives like brothers. Now, I have an altogether different angle on life. I like plumbing. I think I would take this forward as a profession," he says.
Talking about his first few days at SPYM, Sharif says: "My eyes watered, my body went stiff and there was so much pain." Slowly, however, he regained his health as well as his dignity.
The programme includes several novel initiatives, such as the use of talking pencils that can read the barcode given in the textbooks. These books have also been especially devised for the juvenile offenders, keeping in mind that most of them cannot read.
All praise for the effort, Sudhir Yadav, Director General (Prisons), said the idea was to make juvenile offenders good citizens, so that they could build a life and a career.
"We teach plumbing, gardening and other activities, but many times, it is not suited to the age of the juvenile offenders. That is why we have introduced this programme," he said.
The juvenile offenders associated with the SPYM now have a second chance of leading normal lives.
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