Rehabilitation of human souls
Over 15 years the network of rehab centers “Transformation” has been working and growing at the Charity Fund “Pilgrim”. About 40 branches had been opened not only in Ukraine but in Russia and Germany as well. Several thousands of people went through the rehab program and most of them were able to overcome the hard way of rehabilitation and to come back to normal life. The headquarter is located in Chervone village by the city of Mariupol. This facility was the first place where the addicts would come to get a new chance in life.
People come to rehab center with destroyed life, shattered health and broken family. Buy due to God’s intervention in their lives they can radically change their destiny. The basic stages of restoration of an addicted person are: first – the spiritual one. The services take place in centers daily, as well as prayers, Bible studies etc. This is like the basic part of rehabilitation program since there is no medical intervention in the process of restoration of a person.
The drug addicts have been in a state of unreality for awhile, they have their life passing by before them but they don’t think about life whatsoever they see nothing but drugs. So when set free of the addiction they start life from the blank sheet and hardly ever capable of doing anything. This is why the second part of the rehab program is so called work therapy. It is also very important part since it helps those who graduate from the rehab to find a job and to have definite skills. Many of them had never worked in their life and hardly held anything in their hand but syringe. This part of rehabilitation has been widely developing. For instance in Chervone the green houses have been functioning for 7 years now, and men and women learn to work and provide for themselves. It is the basic income source in the given rehab center. The ministers in the rehab center support the guys actively teaching them to have agricultural skills.
Many of those who successfully went through the rehab course find their calling, reveal some skills and talents in themselves and start working in various spheres. Most of them restore their families, set their relationships with parents in order and create new families.
Alexander Matyushin, a manager of the network of rehab centers “Transformation”: “I believe this ministry is going to keep growing and we see how guys’ lives get changed. Our main task is as it is written in the book of Proverbs: “To save those taken for death” and the second task also very necessary one – is to teach them work for them to be able when they graduate to find a job and provide for themselves. It greatly increases their chances not to get back to their addiction and former life”.
The graduates of the network of the rehab centers at the Charity Fund “Pilgrim” after their physical and psychic health are not left on their own; they have an opportunity to make their first independent steps in the new life in the adaptation center. Within the period of work of this center over 500 people could get strengthened in their new life and then were released to live apart. Over 8 years the employees of the Charity Fund “Pilgrim” have been helping with accommodation, restoration of papers, finding a job. One can stay in the adaptation center till they find a job and are able to rent their own place.
Here the former drug addicts find not only just a job and a place to stay but also their future spouses. They learn to build relationships and families again. Many good families were created there and healthy kids were born.
Right now there are 25 people living in the adaptation center. There is not enough space and this is why beside many needs there is this need in bunk beds. It doesn’t mean they cannot find joy and hope even in the midst of those difficulties. They try to live as one big family here, celebrate birthdays and other holidays together, sharing joys and difficulties with each other. Many of those who used to stay here would come back to visit them with their families, to share about their success. It is very encouraging for the former addicts and gives them more assurance that the new life can be successful.