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Stephen Butler

Documentary photo and editorial storyteller
  
The glue staves off the hunger; street boys of Narok
Public Project
The glue staves off the hunger; street boys of Narok
Copyright Stephen Butler 2024
Updated Mar 2022
Location Narok, Kenya
Topics Africa, Development, Documentary, Editorial, Kenya, Photography, Photojournalism, Portrait, Portraiture, Poverty, Street
Summary
The street boys of Narok live in Kenya's third city. There is a definite hierarchy in the group. They are addicted to glue which they sniff to take away hunger pangs.
Narok. Kenya's third city and home to a gang of street boys living together in a defined hierarchy. The boys are addicted to glue which is supplied by the head of the gang. The glue keeps the hunger at bay in a community where there is no work, no food, no money.

There are seemingly no NGOs working in this area, or at least none that are present and visible. The problems of poverty here are caused by a lack of employment opportunities. It is easy to label people as 'lazy', but after a little time it is evident that these boys are willing and eager to work. Who wouldn't prefer to earn some money than be living on the streets which is a dangerous place to be.

There is a small 'hotel' eatery run by a lady, her daughter and husband who occasionally give the boys a meal. But eating is a sporadic and uncertain event and, in between, the glue takes away the hunger pangs. This is not living, it is an existence.  
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The glue staves off the hunger; street boys of Narok by Stephen Butler
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