“I was 10 years old, when I started pushing fruit cart. I wanted to study and be in a different position in life but I had to support my family early on in life. It has been 18 years now and I must say I have been doing well with this job. The owner of the fruit cart is quite happy with my work and I am able to run the family to a decent extent. Even during lockdown, we escaped the doldrums and I can’t thank god enough.
I lost my father when I was 15. He succumbed to tuberculosis. He was a chain smoker. That has been a lesson for all of us. My brother and I have an aversion towards cigarettes because we saw our father fade away due to his addiction.
Everytime an affable customer comes to me and starts a conversation, the only thing I tell them is to stay away from cigarettes, even if it is passive smoking. Losing a family member is not easy. It changes the course of so many lives. Let’s not give addiction the power to change lives.”

#Family #Awareness #addiction #Quitsmoking #life #Empower #Educate #Lockdown #Survival #Motivation #Andhra #HumansofAndhra