"Anti-drug grandma" heals hearts through education, love

Days before the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, more than 30 people got together and talked about changes in their life at the Coastline Station. Fu Liangling works in this community drug-detoxification center.

Fu, 54, is the center's vice director at the Haidian community district in Haikou, the capital of south China's Hainan Province. The center helps people quit drug addiction and get back to regular lives in families and society.

"For people who have got rid of addiction, I try to help them regain confidence, find jobs, and even set them up on blind dates," she said. "Sometimes they come back to see me again. They said they feel warm when they see Coastline Station."

Fu has received recognition for her whole-hearted work in the field of drug rehabilitation, and she has been dedicated to anti-drug work for over a decade.

A NEW FIELD

Before it all began, Fu was a school teacher, then a business assistant. She never thought she would do anything related to anti-drug work.

"My schedule was too hectic when I was young," she said. "I was working all day."

In 2011, Fu decided to quit the business job and apply for a new one less busy to "have more time with family."

Her husband, a former anti-drug policeman, suggested that Fu works at the local drug rehabilitation center to help addicts quit drugs.

"I was afraid because I honestly did not know much about them. Everything I heard about them was negative," she recalled.

Her husband told her it was different from what he did and that the rehabilitation job was more about patience, understanding, and support.

"He managed to persuade me, and I applied for the job and got it," she said.

A CARING GRANDMA

At the very beginning, Fu was afraid to visit the drug users.

"At that time, I got cold feet. My husband encouraged me to overcome the fear and face up to it," Fu recalled. "I decided to help five people quit drugs in the first year. If I could not make it, I would find another job."

But she got the cold shoulder a lot. "Sometimes people did not understand me and even yelled at me to get out of their houses."

Once, Fu was rejected by an addict nine times. She would leave her phone number and some brochures at the door each time. The addict finally opened the door when Fu went there for the 10th time.

"I will try this because I believe you can help me with your persistence," said the addict.

Hard work paid off, and at the end of 2011, Fu managed to help 15 people quit drugs.

"It gave me the greatest confidence ever. I believe I can help more people return to normal lives in the future," said Fu.

After helping the addicts quit, she helps them repair family relations, regain confidence, and return to society. Fu remembers every person's birthday and always prepares a cake for them on their special day or gives them a call.

"I encourage them a lot," she said. "They like to share their stories with me, and I always listen and comfort them, just like one of their family members. They would call me sister, mother, or grandma."

Out of the center, Fu often goes to schools, companies, and other organizations in the locality to promote anti-drug knowledge. She also hands out anti-drug brochures to the public and posts anti-drug information on the popular messaging service WeChat.

"Education is important," she said. "For example, some people do not know that the plants they grow for seasoning are drugs, and they may become addicts through longtime consumption. So you need to educate them through knowledge spreading."

Fu said that for drug addicts who have recovered, social acceptance is vital.

"People need to understand them more and help them return to society," she said. "Only in this way can they truly feel being loved and accepted and not fall back into the abyss of drugs." ■