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Generation Grit: Family's love, faith turn drug addict's life around
Once a gangster and drug addict who was jailed twice, Benny Thiam is today a social worker who helps troubled individuals. This is his story of how he turned his life around, in a series on millennials who inspire us.
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Mr Benny Thiam started taking drugs when he was 14. He was also involved in loansharking and went AWOL from the army. After being incarcerated twice, he decided to turn over a new leaf.
At his lowest point, Mr Benny Thiam was on the run for about three months. He had fled national service after drugs were found on him in the army camp, and was sleeping rough on the streets as he could not go home.
He resorted to working for a loan shark to feed his drug addiction.
