Who Says It's Too Late?
January – March 2026Recovery Story: Yek
“WE CARE was foundational to my recovery,” he shares. “It was a place of safety for me, which was conducive for my recovery.”
“I’m blessed,” says Yek, 70, of himself. The retiree spends his days meaningfully by helping others, serving as a peer supporter at NAMS, a family befriender at Yellow Ribbon and at Fitrah, where he helps fellow Muslims in recovery reintegrate back into society.
He was first arrested at 21 for drug consumption while working as an aircraft mechanic with the Air Force. As a consequence, he lost his job. Thereafter, his life spun out of control – an even bigger consequence.
What followed were eight more incarcerations for drug use. The turning point came during his last incarceration in 2021 in DRC when he realised that, at the age of 66, he couldn't afford a 10th prison sentence.
He is grateful for the awakening he experienced and that he still had time to change and make his life better.
Upon his release in 2022, he walked through WE CARE’s doors and started his recovery journey.
Here, he decided that for the first time in his life he was going to take recovery seriously. He was going to do recovery full-time, by devoting all his time and energy to recovery.
“WE CARE was foundational to my recovery,” he shares. “It was a place of safety for me, which was conducive for my recovery.”
In his second year of recovery, he started exploring other self-help groups and attended recovery-focused short courses to arm himself with the necessary skills to help others, such as para-counselling.
Now in his third year of recovery, he is applying all the knowledge and skills he gained by actively helping others in recovery. At the time of publication, he is waiting to be approved as a befriender with the Singapore Prison Services.
“It’s time to give back,” he says with a broad smile.
Besides helping other addicts, he is also involved in other charities such as Sian Chay Charity Centre and Cheng Hong Welfare Service Society. He engages seniors in activities and accompanies them on excursions for the former and is involved in providing afterlife memorial services for the latter.
His involvement in afterlife bereavement services has taught him that life is finite, and to not take things for granted. In fact, he often brings younger recovering addicts to accompany him in his work there.
“It hits them hard,” he admits. “They learn not to take life for granted.”
He has a special heart for senior offenders, a growing niche group he attributes to Singapore’s greying population.
“Many have no purpose in life and are stuck living the only life they know how to live – drug use and incarceration. Their mindset is one of ‘Why change?’”
He believes it is never too late to find purpose or a new direction in life. “There’s a beautiful life outside of prison,” he remarks.
Looking at Yek, he is living proof of that. He has gone for two pilgrimages since his release from prison and is now starting to get more involved in the lives of his family of origin.
He celebrated three years of sobriety at WE CARE’s 19th Finishers Awards, and is testimony that age is no barrier to recovery.
Indeed, as he always says, “It’s never too late!”
By Yek & Ann
Ann is a recovering person who first came to WE CARE in February 2024.
