The deep scars on their hands are a testimony of the sad tale of drug addiction, but then there’s a silver lining; love brewed in the confines of a rehabilitation centre.
As teenagers, living on Lamu Island, Babli Shee Athman, 26, and Khadija Mohamed Shebwana, 30, chose the wrong path of drugs and alcoholism. Excessive drinking and indulgence in heroin, cocaine and bhang became a lifestyle that cemented their relationship with fellow drug users.
And for more than 15 years, the lovebirds have been battling addiction, often finding it difficult to separate reality from fantasy.
But their salvation came in form of a residential treatment centre at the Lamu King Fahd County Hospital. It was while confined at the centre that the embers of love first sparked and interestingly, greatly helped shape their lives.
While many people are likely to view romantic partnerships between drug-using couples as dysfunctional, unstable, utilitarian and often violent, theirs radiates positivity, even as they continue with their recovery journey. The duo have enrolled in a Medically Assisted Therapy (Mat) unit at the King Fahd County Hospital.
The centre was established in March 2021 through a partnership between the county government of Lamu and the Muslim Education and Welfare Association (Mewa) with a key objective to rehabilitate drug addicts by administering methadone, a narcotic pain reliever that’s taken orally. Counselling services are also offered.
So far the Lamu Mat centre has registered more than 300 drug addicts from across the archipelago, who report to the clinic daily for their dose of methadone that’s key in their journey to reform.
In an interview with Lifestyle, they disclosed how they met at the Mat Clinic and started a whirlwind romance that morphed into a union.
Shee narrates that since he “welcomed his wife Khadija into his heart”, there has been a great improvement in their lives, adding that their relationship has made him focus more on the positive side of life, unlike before.
“We met in March last year. Both of us had gone to receive methadone. That’s the time I felt I am so much in love with her. I didn’t hesitate to open up my feelings to Khadija and she accepted my proposal,” Shee says.
He recalls that the days before he met Khadija, his life was at its worst. He would even sell his clothes, including boxers, and use the proceeds to buy a sachet of heroin, cocaine or any hard drugs, locally known as unga (flour), and bhang.
“I was dirty then. I used to walk around the streets of Lamu while almost naked. But I am a happy man now and Kahdija has greatly contributed to this. Every time I think about stealing or doing something bad, Khadija intervenes and talks me out of it. She always tells me that she isn’t willing to see me die and leave her as a widow in the streets,” Shee offers.
He started using heroin, cocaine and bhang at the age of 10.
Born in a family of 10 siblings, he says poverty and peer pressure led him to the wayward life consuming drugs.
“I can confidently say that as of now, there is nothing I haven’t seen or done because of drugs. That’s why I decided to change my life for the better. I would be dead if I continued with my old ways,” says Shee.
According to his brother Ali Athman, Shee’s journey of reformation can be attributed to Allah (God). Ali noted that prior to his recovery, family members, including himself, did not want to see Shee close to them.
“We used to think he wanted to steal or harm us. So, we shut our doors every time we saw him near our compounds. But today, Shee is a good man. He has totally changed and does not consume any drugs. We love him and his wife Khadija. They come home daily and we welcome them,” says Athman.
As for Khadija, she says choosing her husband was the best decision she made.
She had been in prostitution to raise money for hard drugs, but that’s now in the past. She credits her relationship with Shee for saving her from the twilight business and other immoral lifestyles she had adopted.
The couple’s love has blossomed to that of caring for each other, just like the way stable, non-drug-using partners do.
Khadija says that were it not for her husband, she would have ended up dead, raped, in jail, or with a bad disease.
“I am in love with him. I am totally in love with everything he does for me. I chose him since he is a fellow recovering drug user. He understands me, you know. Shee is always there for me. We’re there for each other during our ups and downs,” she offers.
Khadija’s mother, Zulekha Mohamed confirmed that her second-born daughter had indeed changed her life for the better.
According to Zulekha, 10 years ago, Khadija was not someone to be trusted.
“We used to fear her as a family. Her life of drugs really discouraged me and I spent most of the time praying that one day, Allah will change her. We tried our best as a family but we couldn’t change Khadija’s life,” said Zulekha.
She added: “I am happy that my daughter has recovered from drugs and even has a husband. That’s a big plus for her. We can now trust her. I have allowed her to visit my home since she doesn’t steal anymore. Sometimes, she is entrusted with children to walk with in town, just like any other normal human being. I love her like the rest of my children.”
The couple state with no ambiguity the feelings they have for each other, and the ways in which people around them support their relationship.
“If I were alone in this journey of rehabilitation, I would have fully reverted to the life of hard-drug consumption. But since I am married, I always operate, knowing very well that I am somebody’s wife,” says Khadija.
Shee discloses that they had already made future plans, including getting children and a permanent home.
“We’re planning to have four children and a good home for this family. We used to sleep in barazas and rickety, old boats and dhows in the Indian Ocean. But since we met, we’ve been able to rent a small store that we call our home. We don’t have bedding but we pray that one day, we shall get some,” Shee disclosed.
The two have one appeal to the national and county governments, leaders and well-wishers out there: to secure him a job that can sustain their livelihoods as the little wages they make is not enough.
“We’re focused on ensuring we fully recover from drugs. We want to be a role model to the society of drug users that they can reform if they have the zeal and determination,” says Khadija.
“But at the same time, we’re worried about how we will sustain our life without a job. The lack of employment might force us to turn to drugs again. We need help,” she added.
“Overcoming addiction wasn’t easy. We had to make hard decisions. We became choosy with the kind of friends to have and stopped going to places we previously frequented. That alone is enough rehabilitation. We even changed our way of thinking and perception about the world,” says Khadija.
After stopping drugs, Shee knew right from the beginning that if he didn't create a new life, then all the factors that brought him to his addiction would easily catch up with him again.
“I singled out friends who were supportive after quitting drugs. One such friend is my wife Khadija who I respect so much. Through her support and guidance, I am here as a reformed addict. For the last two years, I haven’t abused heroin or any other substance,” he says.
Juma Mwamvyoga, the Lamu Mat clinic addiction counsellor confirmed that the two are one of the success stories at the clinic since they are on the right track, completely having left the life of hard drug consumption.
Mwamvyoga says the Mat clinic only gives a chance to heroin addicts like them to slowly be weaned off the hard stuff at a pace that slowly gives their brain the chance to periodically adjust to the lack of heroin, with methadone as a medical substitute for opioids.
According to Mwamvyoga, methadone is one of the components used to help alleviate opioid cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms with minimal risk of tolerance and compulsive opioid use.
“Theirs is one of our success stories. They are active methadone treatment followers who have strictly adhered to therapy at the facility. and are now on the right path to full reformation,” said the counsellor.
Lamu Mat Clinic Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Abdulkadir Ahmed Jeneby said recovering addicts who are also referred to as clients or patients, said the daily dosage of methadone has to be religiously taken for a period of between one and a half to two years so as to be able to completely subdue the addiction.
He explains that the major objective of the clinic is to induce harm reduction through promoting the health and dignity of those impacted by drug use.
“Once an addict shows interest in therapy, they undergo at least five psycho-social sessions about the programme where they are taught about the entire Mat process, the side effects and changes expected to the body once treatment starts,” said Jeneby.
For the two, life can only get better.
