‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’. A statement that we all have heard since childhood and realized the gravity of it only after we’ve grown up! What are friends for if you cannot fall back upon them? This article deals with one such story of the bond of friendship that doesn’t lose its charm even after ages.
Wanja found her childhood friend homeless
This is a story of a Kenyan woman, Wanja Mwaura and her drug-addicted friend, Patrick Hinga. Mwaura and Hinga had been childhood friends since school. However, due to the unwanted addiction of drugs and marijuana that Hinga had fallen prey to, he was expelled from his school. There was hardly any way to bring him back to a normal lifestyle. He didn’t hail from a very well to do family.
Once inside the puddle, there was no way out. His mother took him to a mental hospital in desperation of curing him. But, Hinga ran away multiple times and was readmitted again and again. Then one day, he did not come back and aimlessly wandered the streets of Nairobi. He would frantically search in the garbage bins and dump-yards to get something saleable in order to buy heroin and marijuana.
When Mwaura found him on the streets, initially taken aback by the rags he had turned into, she made up her mind to help her childhood friend. He was found in an absolutely deplorable plight, covered with dirt, looking haggard and homeless. Hinga wanted to get rid of the mess he had been trapped in and lead a normal, peaceful life. On realizing the determination of Hinga, Mwaura wanted to help him better his condition.
Helping Hinga to get his life back
She tried to raise funds for his rehabilitation through social media and some common friends. It surely must have had been a difficult task to make up one’s mind and let go of a habit that had been there for years. However, Hinga had now gained closure in life and knew that there was no way out other than waiting patiently and going with the flow of his treatment. A complete detox routine had been conducted to help him recover from his miserable condition.
When the incident became sensational, the local media came up to spread the news in order to gain more funds if possible. Mwaura was determined to make his friend get better. An incredible change was witnessed by Patrick’s transformation post-rehab. He is and shall always remain obliged to Wanja for her continuous support and effort to make his life better.
