Hey there, I’m Marius Swart, and my story is one of hope.
Growing up in a tough environment with abuse and addiction is something many addicts can relate to, so I won’t dwell on that. The real turning points for me came after leaving home. At this time, two experiences stand out that I wish never to repeat: My two years of military training and going to rehab!
Checking into rehab on May 24th, 2003, was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It demanded more courage, honesty, and humility than I thought I had. I count my clean time from May 25th, the day after I checked in. Completing rehab was a huge achievement for me because, as an addict and alcoholic, I had always struggled to follow through on anything. But this time, I was determined to see it through, and I spent four months in a rehab environment.
After nearly eight years of sobriety, I decided to chase my dream of becoming an Addictions Counsellor. I took various courses, including the LifeLine course, and volunteered to work without compensation at two rehabs. After nine months, one of them offered me a permanent position as a trainee counsellor. It took another nine months of hands-on training before I could call myself an addictions counsellor and start facilitating groups, lectures, and workshops.
I worked at that facility for two and a half years before moving to another one. While working there, I decided to open a Halfway House, and on May 1st, 2015, Malachite House was born. By August 2016, Malachite House was up and running smoothly. It was at this time that I was offered a position as an Addictions Counsellor at two branches of Akeso Clinic. This was the perfect place for me to refine my addiction counselling skills.
But I still had a dream of opening a rehab—not just another facility, but a place of hope. I did not want to be like so many other facilities. I wanted everything to be legit, with the proper documentation and registration. I wanted a facility where I could apply the best of what I’d learned over the past 20 years.
In April 2023, I met Hennie, and my life changed. He believed in my vision for the industry, and together we established Eagles View Wellness Centre.
Now, I’m living a dream that’s bigger and better than anything I ever imagined. Eagles View is not just a rehab; it’s a place of hope, a place where we truly make a difference.
And that’s my story—a journey from addiction to hope, from surviving to thriving.
