Feature: Former drug addict turns savior for young people in Costa Rica

Jesus Fernandez fell into drug addiction at a very young age in Costa Rica. "Cocaine hit me hard, from when I tried it at 14 until I was 29," he said.

To fund his habit, Fernandez sold his body on the streets of the capital of San Jose.

However, as the world prepares to celebrate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, Fernandez has turned his difficult past into a learning experience for his community.

Fernandez managed to change a heavy past with an abusive, alcoholic father, and a spiral into prostitution and drug addiction by becoming an organizer for Hogares Crea, an NGO devoted to getting young people and adults alike out of drug addiction.

Today, he is also the coordinator and graphic designer for Crea, a magazine which seeks to gives families a message of hope while educating them about the very real threat of drugs.

Fernandez told Xinhua that he began by taking "thinner," a solvent mixed with shoe polish. This drug is widely used by young and poor Costa Ricans for being cheap and easy to make.

From there, Fernandez began cocaine and turned to prostitution to fuel his habit.

He recalled meeting a Canadian man who hired his services and went travelling with him around the world. During their trip, Fernandez was introduced to LSD, ecstasy, magic mushrooms and various amphetamines.

"I went from being an introverted kid to an extrovert man. Things change in electronic music clubs," he said.

However, in the Netherlands, he had an epiphany. "Drugs were killing me, I was sleepwalking through life. I had hallucinations about killing myself and I began to lose my sight."

This is when Fernandez decided to leave drugs behind and return home. His family helped him contact Hogares Crea, which has been working to recover drug addicts in Costa Rica since 1984.

His recovery lasted 20 months, including a phase where he was kicked out of the program for falling back into his old ways and taking "thinner."

Eventually, Fernandez worked his way up to managing Hogares Crea's largest of 12 centers, where "50 young people are attended at any one time." He also takes part in the organization's PR events and fundraising.

"Thanks to God, on June 7, I completed three years without touching drugs," he told Xinhua with satisfaction.

However, the young man leads a daily battle against temptation, not even daring to smoke a cigarette for fear of being drawn in by his vice once again.

Fernandez said that while Hogares Crea offers no magic formula, he hopes that the beacon of hope the NGO offers will draw in young people who have the desire to quit drugs. Endite