Page 11 - aruba-today-20220704

a11
local Monday 4 July 2022

Hand4Addicts: “Aruba’s social problem is bigger than what they

can handle”

The problem of homeless addicts water. The foundation provides
on the streets of Aruba is one that clothes as well, and food to take
sadly keeps growing every year, away.
and until now, there is no concrete
solution for this. Hand4Addicts is a “We are there from morning until
foundation focused on providing noon, or from noon until evening,
help, beyond food, for this group. depending on the situation. Prac-
Founder and president of this foun- tically they receive a shave and
dation, Nicole de Cuba, explains haircut, they eat, they have a
where the idea came from to start bath. They come to chat and they
this foundation, and what kind of know us for a long time already.
work they do. I’ve been doing this for around
seven or eight years already”, De
De Cuba explains that the idea Cuba told us.
started when she was volunteering
with the Red Cross Aruba, and they De Cuba added that in decem-
had a budget to give homeless ad- ber, because she doesn’t eat
dicts something to eat every week; meat, she used to prepare ham the streets, who they are trying to
but then that budget was slashed. for the addicts and sit and talk De Cuba highlights that she’s met help because he is underage and
She started providing the help on with them. She explains that the with the Governor, who back then his father is also an addict. She ex-
her own, with loaves of bread, holidays are a very emotional time called on her. She’s met with vari- plains that she speaks to the min-
juice, etc. With other people’s ini- for the addicts because they are ous ministers of the current govern- ister regarding specific cases that
tiative at the time, people who no on the streets and have no family, ment, the old government, many are really difficult, but she empha-
longer live on Aruba, it was de- they don’t have anyone. times; and she says the plans that sizes that there isn’t a good team
cided to have a BBQ, which end- “We go to them, and they gained they have put forward, she sees or source of care for this problem.
ed up becoming a big event and the confidence and they respect them as clouds: plans which come, There are agencies and founda-
right there people started making us, they defend us completely. but are never realized. tions that help, but it’s not always
donations of what was needed at And at the end of the day, when the same. “For years already this is
that moment, like clothing, food they’re done eating, they chat a group that is seriously neglected
and other essential items. and tell us the good and the bad She mentioned Centro Colorado, and even though I understand that
that they have done”, she said. FMAA – where she herself did an they are annoying – they break in,
After this big event, De Cuba to- internship a long time ago. But she they steal, they are rude to people
gether with her team from that Regarding help from official agen- saw the situation an at the time the – I understand that is annoying for
time decided to start selling cakes cies in charge of social welfare, place was in a very poor condition, us non-addicts. But on the other
to gather funds to officially set up De Cuba said that she finds it re- had no structure, and a lot of the side, I also understand their addic-
the foundation. grettable that on Aruba there is a addicts said that they rather be on tion”, she added.
system that is not working 100% to the streets than at the center. De
Every month, once a month – most- give support to this group. Cuba emphasizes that she doesn’t De Cuba tells the story of a case
ly the last week of the month since She commented that a lot of the know what the place is like current- where an addict managed to
the person has not received their homeless addicts have had prob- ly, but from what she knows, a lot beat his addiction and received
social welfare yet – Hand4Addicts lems since they were young, grew of people who come in said that the help he needed to stand back
go to the area behind Rancho, up in orphanages of Casa Cuba or they are allowed only one mistake, on his feet. This person managed to
behind the parkinglot of Mango by Imeldahof; or they have problem- then they’re out and back on the get a job, but when his colleagues
the main street, and provide help atic parents where they saw drugs streets. recognized him as a former home-
for the addicts. They come with a from an early age and were victims less addict, a ‘choller’, he became
‘bath’, which they received from a of abuse. Most of them come with In positive cases where the addict a victim of bullying to the point
sponsor, and they received other a history that causes them pain, managed to beat his addiction, where he fell back into drugs. “Aru-
materials from other sponsors while and using drugs is the only way De Cuba said that this is usually ba’s social problem is a lot bigger
the Fire Department helps with which they can find an escape. specifically because of the initia- than what they can handle.”
tive of the addict’s family. She said
there isn’t an agency that medi- De Cuba commented that be-
cally takes care of them, a lot of fore she was a volunteer with the
them don’t carry a health insur- Red Cross, she used to pass judge-
ance card or ID or anything. Their ment and she highlights that this
medical condition is poor where is the mentality with which that a
many of them have STDs, infec- lot of people were brought up. But
tions, cuts on their hands, they get when she found out the other side
into fights, etc., but often – unless of the story and actually talked to
they themselves walk from the city the addicts – even though they lie
centre to the hospital in the north- here and there – she understood
ern area of the islands to receive the root of the problem. “What I al-
help and then walk back to the ways say is to just take the chance
city centre – they just remain on before you judge one of these
the streets without receiving medi- people, instead of scolding them,
cal help. yelling at them, push them away
from you, just treat them as a per-
De Cuba says that she has spo- son, and you will see a completely
ken to the minister of Justice and different behavior, who they really
Social Affairs, Rocco Tjon about a are”, she finalized.
case involving a young man on