CHOKORA (cho ko rah): Swahili; derogatory/slang term for street kid.
In Nairobi, Kenya, tens of thousands of children live on the streets with little food and no shelter. Their only comfort comes from sniffing cheap, highly addictive industrial glue. It damages their brains and may even kill them, but the “high” keeps them warm and courageous enough to eat garbage every night.
The well-to-do citizens of Nairobi have given these children the derogatory Swahili name “chokora.”
This is the story of one of them.
The situation in Nairobi has been documented in the media, but the issue of glue-addiction still has not gained the global awareness needed to bring about change.
If you are interested in reading more on the subject, please check out the articles below:
Nairobi Glue Pusher Preys On Addicted Kids to Help Her Own
(This was the first news story I heard (on NPR/PRI) about the issue, which inspired me to write CHOKORA. The link includes the audio report).
Glue-Sniffing Ruins Young Lives in Nairobi
Glue Kids: Kenyan Orphans Hit The Bag