This archive report was first published on 4 September 2021.
Heroin addiction has become a pervasive issue in Kisumu, affecting many young people who are struggling to break free from its grip. For Achieng, a 35-year-old mother of two, the journey out of drugs has been particularly painful. She was first introduced to heroin in 2003, after failing to join Form One due to lack of school fees. She had moved to Nairobi to look for a job, but her friends introduced her to the drug, and she soon found herself deep in addiction.
Despite being enrolled in a hospital for methadone treatment in 2015, Achieng continued to struggle with heroin addiction. She was arrested in 2017 and served three years in prison, but she was able to receive treatment during her incarceration. After her release in 2019, she had no traces of the drug in her blood, but she soon relapsed and was taken back to treatment.
Achieng's story is not unique. Many young people in Kisumu are struggling to overcome heroin addiction, a journey marked by rejection, relapse, and the search for redemption. For Bundi, a 38-year-old who lost a job opportunity in Spain due to drug addiction, the road to recovery has been long and difficult. He was introduced to heroin by his Nigerian girlfriend's family and struggled to keep it a secret until he dropped out of a computer package training class.
According to David Osido, a psychosocial therapist at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, many of the patients are jobless youth who reside within the slums where the drugs are mostly peddled. Rachel Arigo, a nurse at the facility, noted that treatment at the hospital is free, and all one needs to do is commit to the sessions.
Published on September 4, 2021, at 13:50:00 UTC.
