A MAN who battled addiction and mental health issues has returned to education in Ealing after 40 years – to inspire others to turn their lives around.
Andreas Kalli is now in his second year of a BSc (Hons) Psychology with Substance Misuse at the University of West London, using his own experiences of addiction and the tragic death of his daughter to support others.
Despite leaving school four decades ago, he was determined to make a change and signed up for counselling and mentoring courses before enrolling at UWL. He was awarded a scholarship from the Helena Kennedy Foundation, sponsored by the Sandhu Charitable Foundation.
The social mobility charity offers mentoring and financial support for students and is now helping Andreas work towards launching a rehabilitation centre.
The 59-year-old said: “Six years ago, I had nothing. I was an addict and I lost my daughter. My life was over and things had to change.
“I was an addict and suffered with my mental health for more than 20 years, so I am proof you are never too old to change or start something new to change your life.”
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