Along the Arniko Highway, 70 kilometers east of Kathmandu, and on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River in Sindhupalanchowk district, there stands Re-Unity Nepal Rehabilitation Center (RNRC) at Balefi, which is home to 32 individuals who share the same past: drug addiction.[break]
On the way to Tatopani, the sight of a concentrated youth group, its members busy with their designated tasks, can seem like some sort of a camp of, say, a political party.
“Some have been designated to cut wood, some to cook and clean,” said Santosh, the Center’s coordinator and founder. “They’ve been given works and responsibilities. This is a kind of therapy.”
He added, “This kind of treatment busies the brain. It also helps people who’ve never been involved in household chores to learn them, and get involved and disciplined.”
Santosh said that the center is strictly bound by rules, and every individual abides by them. If rules are broken, they will have to face the ‘consequences’. The penalty is decided on the nature and severity of their slips. And it can be anything—from squatting up and down to pretending like holding a gun and targeting, and digging holes and burying themselves upto the neck.
In the afternoons, the individuals sit together and share the changes they’ve seen in their lifestyle after coming to the facility. However, the meetings aren’t serious. From the basic housekeeping agendas like the need for household goods to singing songs for entertainment, they do it all in the community meeting.
On the lighter side, the community members can have respites. After the morning meal, they can rest, smoke Pilot cigarettes – five sticks a day – in the smoking area or bathe at the taps or in the nearby river. While washing in the Bhote Koshi River, and when asked about his rehabilitation life after addiction, Binod became emotional and said, “Look at the water in the river. It’s muddy, due to the rains. I’m waiting to be cleansed.”
And other members, like Binod himself, are also spending their days with positive hope and optimism.
“Although they are no longer addicted, the temptation is always strong. And they need to have great confidence to be away from their family at a rehab facility this far,” said Rabin, another coordinator of the facility. “After the first phase of therapy, they need to stay for the aftercare treatment. However, during that time, they don’t need to follow the strict rules as before. But they must visit us at regular intervals for counseling.”
And perhaps, it might be the reason that in this disguised community that shares the same stories, the residents’ tales from their past resonate in their conversations, from the initial introduction in the first days to the final one.
Jeevan: “Namaste, family.”
Group: “Namaste.”
Jeevan: “I’m Jeevan, addict.”
Group: “Hi, Jeevan.”
Jeevan: “I’ve been clean for 28 days.”
Group: “Keep it up, and see you again [for counseling].”
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