Interview: My struggle with Alcohol,and how i sought for help in the Diaspora

Anthony Kinyanjui or Ras Anto 

Interview:My struggle with Alcohol,and how i sought for help in the Diaspora

Interviewed By : Sam Mwaura/Samrack Media

My name is Anthony Kinyanjui or Ras Anto as my peers know me and am a recovering Alcoholic.

I’ve been sober for almost 5 1/2 yrs now,through nothing but by the grace of the most High God .

My addiction and dependency on Alcohol increased immediately after arriving here from Kenya back in 2001.

In  August of 2011, i sought help and enrolled  with CHL services in Worcester, followed by a 30 day stay at s program called Passages, after the 30 days period ,i felt i needed more recovery time so i signed up and went for a six month program at Salvation Army in Worcester,The good news is i  have been  sober since.

As a recovering Alcoholic, I have finally pursued every dream I wanted in America,i can honestly say Alcohol use and abuse has a huge  negative impact on new  immigrants here in the Diaspora.

When did you Start drinking?

I started drinking while i was   back at  home in Kenya a friend introduced me to it  in High School, and we all thought  it was cool to be in the” in crowd”,

Family influence played a big role as most of  us used to drink,my uncles,cousins and close friends all drink, and it is somehow believed to be a generation thing in our Family.

Any Triggers?

Some of the Triggers that i face  daily are sometimes when the day is stressful,bills unpaid,too much work to handle or when i go out to Parties,BBQs where there is Alcohol involved,i get tempted and i get whispers of  “Don’t you miss me?”

I substituted my addiction for my favorite hobby “D.Jing” , and was able to finally visit Kenya a couple of years ago and i am now in school pursuing a career of my choice.That is not much however, its better than sleeping under a bridge.

I can honestly say the consumption of Alcohol in the Diaspora has definitely increased and affected many  families and we need to address this issue as Kenyans.

Whats the most  surprising thing you ever done?

The most surprising thing that happened to me is admitting to being an Alcoholic.

What is your Talent?

I am good at making people laugh. Am very bad at anything new  that I don’t know much about.

What is the last book you read?

The last book I read was Pillars of the Earth by Ken folliet.

Whose your favorite author?

My favorite author is Sidney Sheldon.

Any childhood fears?

My worst childhood fear is drowning.

Whats your ideal night?

My ideal night is watching movies or a favorite series with my wife.

Whats your greatest regret?

The greatest regret that I have is ever picking up the bottle.

What would you do if you were a politician?

If I was I politician, i would donate my salary to the poor and needy.

Any Celebrity you identify yourself with or  best  living person you admire?

The Celebrity i identify with is Will Smith. The Living person I most admire is Dj King Tubbs of King Lion sounds Kenya.

Whats your greatest possession?

My greatest possession is God,My Family and my DJ equipment.

Whats your message to the World?

My message to the world is“if you think you’re to small to change anything then you haven’t spend the night with a mosquito.”

Send your suggestions how we can address this Alcoholism issue here in the Diaspora:

my email is jingjang8746@gmail.com

Article originally published by Samrack  in January 2015