Despite facing immense challenges, Neetu came out of her situation strongly and used education as her weapon to grow and succeed in life. She counsels drug addicts to overcome their obsession and live life the right way.

Neetu Khanduri Sharma is a counselor who counsels drug addicts. She assists her husband run their rehabilitation center.

Neetu is from Dehradun, Uttarakhand. She got married in Assam in 1999, and since then she has been through many challenges in her married life. Neetu had no idea that her husband was a drug addict, which she only got to know after her marriage. She struggled with him for six years, and a day came when her husband finally showed a willingness to leave drugs behind. This was when he was sent to a rehabilitation center, and it took him around five years to recover from it. Her husband even worked there before opening up his own rehabilitation center to help others overcome the problem he was once suffering with.

To support her husband’s initiative, Neetu obtained a degree in counseling. She is also a double MA in Sociology and English, which she completed after marriage. Supporting her family further, Neetu, as a qualified woman, joined a school at just a salary of Rs 750 per month. She was told by her principal to pursue NTT for a salary increase. This was when she took the plunge and traveled 30 km away from her home, leaving her child behind, to pursue NTT.

When asked about her role models, Neetu says she takes inspiration from her brother, who is currently posted as a Deputy Director at IIT Jodhpur. He encouraged Neetu to study further, for which she is forever grateful. Neetu also draws inspiration from her mother, who raised her and her siblings all alone after losing her husband at the age of thirty two.

When asked about her take on education v/s experience, Neetu says she believes that education is just like a sun that makes you shine bright. She says that the youth of the country, especially girls, should focus on their studies as much as possible. Neetu says that once we are done with education, experience automatically follows.

Talking about counseling and rehabilitation, Neetu says that for those wishing to open a rehabilitation center, they need to be patient, passionate, sympathetic, and possess good listening skills.

Discussing the pandemic, Neetu says that the impact of COVID has been negative and it has somehow encouraged people to start drinking more. She adds that it has also resulted in more fights between couples staying at home all day. Neetu says that COVID didn’t leave any free time for housewives since they had more work to do.

Neetu considers herself a born leader. She is also a member of the Assam Drugs Association.

In her free time, Neetu enjoys gardening and gives tuition after her office hours.