Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
WITNESSING the devastating impact of drugs on his friends, Knowledge Shumba, a 27-year-old known as Killer Nox on the streets, found his lifeline through the lens of a camera.
As the presenter of Ekasi Stories, he discovered a sense of purpose in front of the camera, which led him to abandon the perilous path of drug and substance abuse.
For Knowledge and his circle, drug use was a daily ritual, a competition of excess with no end in sight. Despite having a job, his earnings vanished into the void of addiction.
“I knew I was in trouble when two of my friends were admitted to Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital because they were now addicts and slowly losing their minds. As if that was not enough, my other friend was hit by a car while drunk and died on the spot. On the day of his funeral, I sat in my room and told myself enough was enough; I was not going to continue risking my life like that,” Knowledge recounted.
In his search for a distraction from drugs, Knowledge was on the brink of giving up until a spontaneous video revealed his natural talent.
“That was when I knew that the camera was my saving grace, and to make it relevant, I decided to do something that would relate to young people like me,” he explained.
The birth of his podcast marked a turning point.
“Instead of doing shows on just anything, I made sure to make videos that touch on real-life things that affect youths and cause them to take drugs. We post the podcasts on social media. The camera saved me because ever since I started doing my podcast, I haven’t abused drugs,” Killer Nox shared.
Knowledge’s message to the youth is clear: find a hobby that makes the fight against drugs and substance abuse worthwhile. –@flora_sibanda
Online Reporter