JENNY PRIETO: A SHOWCASE OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION

The Battle Against Ignorance Foundation, Inc., is a foundation dedicated to helping the lonely, broken, wounded, and hurting. And one of our missions is to fight the “ignorance” of society, which stigmatizes, judges, and condemns all those who have battled and overcome addiction. Yes, recovery is real. There is always hope!

Jenny is one amazing woman who refuses to do nothing to help those who need her guidance and care. And she has inspired many under her who are now living normal lives. Here is her story:

It all started with curiosity, peppered with peer pressure. I had an okay life, got a degree in biology, was in my 3rd year of law school, had a good job at City Hall, and almost had it made. All these accomplishments slowly went down the drain when I started using drugs.

It was all recreational in the beginning but eventually progressed to addiction. I gradually lost everything, including my job, my pursuit of becoming a lawyer, my dignity, my self-respect, and most importantly, my family’s confidence in me.

I became the person that people hated the most—a con artist, lazy, and irresponsible individual! Several times I attempted to quit using drugs, but my cravings were stronger than my motivation. Ever since drugs took over 20 years of my life, I became hopeless and felt like I was going nowhere. I can’t fathom what I have put my family through. It broke their hearts from the start, and even more so when I ended up in jail for shoplifting. Though I didn’t deserve to get bailed out, they did it anyway. They endured a very long and treacherous journey trying to help me, almost to the point that they just let me be since I was a “hopeless case”.

It wasn’t until my mom heard about Safehaven Facility that an array of hope and possibility lingered in everyone’s minds. My family sent me there with the hope that it would eradicate my addiction. It wasn’t an easy fix. Gratefully, the staff at Safehaven, my coach Bop Buenaventura, coach Emman Llenos, and Pastor Ronnie delos Santos were very patient with my ugly demeanor and misconduct.

Day by day, they introduced me to the power of healing the mind first, then the body. They are a Christ-centered group and believe that God is the healer of the mind, body, and soul. My deteriorated self had slowly been restored, and my mind had been brought back to life. When I finished my 6-month rehabilitation, I started to see life again, and gone were the years where I thrived in total darkness and misery.

I was once lost, but now I am found. With God’s help, the impossible became a reality. With the constant prayers, help, and motivation from the staff at Safehaven, who now feel like family to me, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I got offered a position at the facility to be the women’s coach. I was hesitant at first, but my Safehaven family and my family have convinced me that I could do it, so yes, I did take the offer! Now I am a woman empowering other women, an ex-addict helping other addicts not just to get rid of their obsession with drugs but to open another chapter of a new and revived life. From zero to hero, from unwillingness to willingness, we shall prevail. Follow us on Facebook: Battle Against Ignorance Foundation, Safehaven Recovery Village