Meet Christopher, a new dad who has yet to meet his 8-month-old son.
“I was given away for adoption by my mum when I was very young. When I found out, at the age of 12, that I was adopted, I became very hot-tempered, because I didn’t know where I was from. I used to run away from home a lot, and I took my first drug at 12 years old.
At the age of 20, I moved to Thailand with my best friend, where we trafficked drugs. Thailand’s nightlife began to take a toll on me. All the partying, drinking and drugs. I began to think, ‘Is this all there is to life?’.
So, I went to Cambodia and donated money to start orphanages. However, I was living a double life, helping people while also taking drugs at the same time. I knew I needed help for my drug addiction, so I came back to Singapore and enrolled in Highpoint.
Highpoint staff have been pivotal in my journey to recovery, as they took the time to build friendships with me. They offered me advice, gave me counselling, and helped shape my new perception on life.
I have an eight-month-old son, who is in the Philippines. I have not met him yet because of COVID-19 and the travel restrictions. I came back to Singapore to set my life straight for my family. Highpoint staff continued to help me get financial help and advice even though I’m no longer enrolled there.
The A.I.M programme by Highpoint has also been very beneficial. It made me feel less alone as it is difficult to tell the outside world about my past. I feel like there’s a community that I can rely on who understands me and supports me.
My son is the reason behind me changing my life, and Highpoint has provided the support that I’ve needed to do so. I’m now optimistic about my future and dream, which is to help children on the streets in the Philippines.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we need your help more than ever to provide emotional support to ex-offenders, like Christopher, so that they can foster resilience and better support themselves and their families.