November 03, 2009
If you met Jemal Damtawe today, the last thing you’d think about this gentle, peaceful man is that he was once homeless, addicted to drugs and wrapped-up in a gang life that resulted in him being shot twice. Today he is an outreach worker at Union Gospel Mission where Jemal shares his story of redemption with young men struggling to break out of a lifestyle of drugs and violence – an example of the power of Christ’s love.
A Young Soldier
Born and raised in Ethiopia, Jemal and his 10 siblings had a normal Ethiopian life, until civil war ravaged the country. At the age of 16, he was taken from his family and forced to enlist in the armed forces and kill neighbours and countrymen. “I had no choice,” Jemal recalls. At 18, Jemal was fortunate to escape the country as a stowaway on a cargo ship, but the emotional scars of being forced to kill against his will drove him to drink heavily in an effort to forget.
New Life, Ghosts from the Past
At age 19, Jemal landed in Montreal and started a new life. He got married, had a daughter and opened his own restaurant, but he was haunted by his past and his drinking escalated. As a result, his marriage disintegrated and his business failed. He left his family for Oregon when his daughter was only three. There, the alcoholism turned to drug addiction, and he soon became involved in drug dealing and gang life.
Jemal wanted to be free from the fearful, fruitless life of drugs and gangs. He was shot twice in the legs during a drug deal gone wrong, but it was the overdose of his best friend that was the tipping point for him accepting a one-way ticket to Vancouver. “I knew if I didn’t make a change, I was next.”
Freedom on the Downtown Eastside
Jemal arrived on the Downtown Eastside with nothing – he was homeless and entrenched in addiction. He found refuge at UGM’s emergency shelter and nourishment at the daily meals. There he heard testimonies of people like him who had begun a relationship with God and worked their way out of addiction. He wrestled for months not wanting to give up the drugs. One day, however, he found the strength to enroll in UGM’s six-month Alcohol & Drug Recovery Program.
His months in recovery weren’t easy; the cravings and the pull to return to his old way of life were very strong. Jemal, however, was beginning a relationship with God and through prayer and the support of fellow recovery residents and UGM staff, he completed the program and hasn’t looked back since. “I wouldn’t be here today if I had not made the decision to give my life to God,” says Jemal.
Since he graduated from the recovery program, Jemal has reconnected with his daughter and recently got married. His daily work in Outreach at UGM allows him to provide hope and a way out to the men and women on Vancouver’s streets who are suffering as he once was. Jemal now lives to offer them the freedom he has found in Christ. As Jemal puts it, “I lost everything like everybody else, but now I’ve gained everything because I have hope.”
If you met Jemal Damtawe today, the last thing you’d think about this gentle, peaceful man is that he was once homeless, addicted to drugs and wrapped-up in a gang life that resulted in him being shot twice. Today he is an outreach worker at Union Gospel Mission where Jemal shares his story of redemption with young men struggling to break out of a lifestyle of drugs and violence – an example of the power of Christ’s love.
A Young Soldier
Born and raised in Ethiopia, Jemal and his 10 siblings had a normal Ethiopian life, until civil war ravaged the country. At the age of 16, he was taken from his family and forced to enlist in the armed forces and kill neighbours and countrymen. “I had no choice,” Jemal recalls. At 18, Jemal was fortunate to escape the country as a stowaway on a cargo ship, but the emotional scars of being forced to kill against his will drove him to drink heavily in an effort to forget.
Jemal is part of our Christmas campaign. Read more stories from men and women like Jemal at www.ugm.ca/iwish
New Life, Ghosts from the Past
At age 19, Jemal landed in Montreal and started a new life. He got married, had a daughter and opened his own restaurant, but he was haunted by his past and his drinking escalated. As a result, his marriage disintegrated and his business failed. He left his family for Oregon when his daughter was only three. There, the alcoholism turned to drug addiction, and he soon became involved in drug dealing and gang life.
Jemal wanted to be free from the fearful, fruitless life of drugs and gangs. He was shot twice in the legs during a drug deal gone wrong, but it was the overdose of his best friend that was the tipping point for him accepting a one-way ticket to Vancouver. “I knew if I didn’t make a change, I was next.”
Freedom on the Downtown Eastside
Jemal arrived on the Downtown Eastside with nothing – he was homeless and entrenched in addiction. He found refuge at UGM’s emergency shelter and nourishment at the daily meals. There he heard testimonies of people like him who had begun a relationship with God and worked their way out of addiction. He wrestled for months not wanting to give up the drugs. One day, however, he found the strength to enroll in UGM’s six-month Alcohol & Drug Recovery Program.
His months in recovery weren’t easy; the cravings and the pull to return to his old way of life were very strong. Jemal, however, was beginning a relationship with God and through prayer and the support of fellow recovery residents and UGM staff, he completed the program and hasn’t looked back since. “I wouldn’t be here today if I had not made the decision to give my life to God,” says Jemal.
Since he graduated from the recovery program, Jemal has reconnected with his daughter and recently got married. His daily work in Outreach at UGM allows him to provide hope and a way out to the men and women on Vancouver’s streets who are suffering as he once was. Jemal now lives to offer them the freedom he has found in Christ. As Jemal puts it, “I lost everything like everybody else, but now I’ve gained everything because I have hope.”
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