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                                                                                                           local Friday 6 January 2023

            Gino Frans, of Eliezer Foundation, celebrated 26 years free from addiction



            ORANJESTAD      –    Eliezer                                                                                        job, you lose the important
            Foundation  is  focused  on                                                                                         things  in  life”,  Arends  indi-
            helping  homeless  addicts.                                                                                         cated.
            Yesterday,  January  5,  in  a
            press conference with vari-                                                                                         He explained that he tried
            ous  media,  the  founder  of                                                                                       to  overcome  addiction
            Eliezer  Foundation,  Gino                                                                                          many times, and one of the
            Frans  celebrated  26  years                                                                                        important points to achieve
            of  sobriety.  He  told  a  bit                                                                                     rehabilitation,   according
            about  his  story  and  how                                                                                         to  Arends,  is  to  search  for
            he  came  to  celebrate  this                                                                                       God. “Without God you will
            milestone.                                                                                                          not  achieve  it,  and  this  is
                                                                                                                                100% because I got the op-
            “Every  year  on  the  5th  of                                                                                      portunity thanks to God.”
            January  I  celebrate  the
            great day in which I found
            deliverance. God freed me                                                                                           He  said  that  right  now  he
            from  drugs,  alcohol,  the                                                                                         also took the decision seri-
            streets,  many  other  things                                                                                       ously and decided he had
            that do not please God. But                                                                                         enough.  “I  think  you  get
            today I stand firm and I can                                                                                        older,  you  see  what  hap-
            say  today  I  mark  26  years                                                                                      pens  on  the  streets,  and
            free from drugs”, Frans said.                                                                                       this  plays  a  big  role,”  he
                                                                                                                                added.
            He  said  that  previously  he                                                                                      Currently Arends has been
            would rehabilitate, fall back  I am strong, I am a big guy,  I  am  helping  myself  also  are an ex-addict, you have  completely   sober   and
            into addiction, rehabilitate,  I  thought  I  was  all  that;  because it fills me with joy,  a lot of influence on those  clean  for  almost  a  year,
            fall  back.  He  emphasized  but little by little it sank me  because I don’t want them  on  the  streets.  We  need  and he thanks God for this
            that when we tried to reha-  completely until I was drag-  to  be  on  that  path.  My  each  other,  and  all  those  achievement.  “Thanks  to
            bilitate with God, that was  ging myself on the streets”,  work  helps  them  to  stand  who  studied  for  this  –  with  God I am reaching a year
            the last time. “God showed  he said.                      firm, like I can, and if God  all respect, we need them,  and  I  feel  sublime.  I  wake
            me it is possible and I want                              helped  me  He  can  help  but they also need us. We  up  in  the  morning  with  a
            to tell everyone to try with  After  rehabilitating  and  others too. This is our goal,”  are  people  who  were  res-  will,  a  desire,  a  want  to
            God.”                        overcoming  his  addiction,  Frans pointed out.           cued  from  the  streets,”  he  fight.  Contrary  to  when  I
                                         Frans  founded  a  founda-                                added.                       was in that world, it is com-
            Frans said that recently he  tion  to  dedicate  to  help-  Together with Frans was Mr.                             pletely different. You don’t
            sees a lot of young kids on  ing  other  addicts  on  the  Anthony  Arends,  a  person  Arends said that he began  know the time of day, you
            the  streets  and  they  don’t  streets.  He  explained  that  with whom Eliezer Founda-  walking the path of addic-  don’t know anything.”
            know  what  they’re  doing.  helping  people  he  also  tion battled for a long time  tion with at barely 17 years
            He said that they are prac-  helps  himself,  because  he  to rid him of addiction, and  old.  He  began  with  ciga-  Finalizing,  Arends  said  that
            tically  using  drugs  to  be-  sees himself in every person  in the end he managed to  rettes  and  after  that  he  he  rehabilitated  and  is
            long  in  a  group,  and  they  that he helps.            overcome.  Frans  empha-     tried stronger things, like al-  helping at the Eliezer Foun-
            used  drugs  without  know-  “Drugs are like cancer, the  sized  that  he  tells  his  story  cohol and cocaine.    dation  because  he  wants
            ing  what  will  happen  to  symptoms  are  the  same.  not  to  boast,  but  to  show  “You  think  you  can  take  to be an example for oth-
            them.  “You  think  you  are  The  addict  begins  slowly  that the work they do bears  it  and  leave  it,  but  there  ers.  “The  way  Gino  is  an
            strong,  but  it  destroys  you.  until  he  sinks,  because  fruits  and  through  them  –  comes a time when it dom-  example,  I  want  to  be  an
            I  was  one  of  those  who  you  don’t  go  up,  you  go  who are addicts – they can  inates you. It reaches a lev-  example  too.  I  want  to
            thought everything is okay,  down.  Each  person  I  help  have a bigger influence on  el where you think you can  continue helping people so
                                                                      other addicts on the streets.  handle it, but it dominates  that they don’t go through
                                                                      “When you are an addict,  you  completely,  and  you  what I went through.”q
                                                                      you  rehabilitate  and  you  lose  family,  you  lose  your
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