Shanker Foundation
Darjeeling, India
February 2009

Deepen

Deepen was an injecting drug user. His family runs a shop where drug users from Darjeeling tend to hang out. This was the main reason behind his addiction. During the early days of his addiction, he received no support from his family. Shanker Foundation convinced him and his family to stop selling alcohol and to send Deepen to rehabilitation. While in rehab in 2005, he tested positive for HIV.

For two years after learning of his infection, he lived, "a life of a lost man". Shanker Foundation convinced him to come forward and fight for the rights of the PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDs). It took time for Deepen, but he began to work at the rehab center as a volunteer. Now Deepen is a board member at the Shanker Foundation. The message he conveys to the people is, "we should motivate our family members to stop selling alcohol".

Update:
It is with great sadness to inform that Deepen had a relapse and died of a drug overdose on December 2nd, 2009.