Julius Kemboi: A Road to Freedom

Currently, we have 16 men enrolled in our drug and rehab program. We only have sleeping space for 10, and when 26 showed up during the newest intake, we sadly had to show some away. However, six refused to leave, insisting that they will sleep in tents, or outside. But they wanted to be free from the grip of alcohol.

Following is the story of one such man: Julius Kemboi. Julius was born handicapped. His family could not afford to buy him a wheelchair, and no-one could take him to school or take him around school, so he never had a chance to be educated. As a young boy, he convinced a friend, however, to teach him to read.

Julius felt trapped, not being able to stand or walk, and as a teenager, found an escape in alcohol. Later in life, he met a woman and got married. Once he had a wheelchair, Julius would go out to drink. Returning home drunk, his chair would get stuck in the mud. Upon reaching home, he would take out his frustrations on his wife by beating and abusing her. She took their four children and left him for about a year, returning recently because she had mercy on him.

Soon after her return, their pastor encouraged Julius to join the alcohol rehabilitation program. At the center, “my eyes were opened,” Julius explains. “I met men who were physically well, but like me, were addicted to alcohol. Some had had good jobs which they had lost to alcohol. Some were policemen, bankers, or government officials. It dawned on me that alcoholism has no prejudice. It affects even the rich.”

Since having been at the rehab center, Julius discovered that God loves him and had given him skills to use in life: repairing shoes, fixing bicycles, and even do poultry farming. “Someone once gave me KES20,000 (about $300) to start a poultry farm. I blew the money on alcohol!"

After completing this program, Julius wants to return to his family and be a responsible husband and father. “I want my family to be able to rely on me once again. I want my wife to be happy, and I want to provide for my children’s education. I pray for God’s forgiveness and his assistance. And I thank God for this place of refuge during this process of recovery."