I come from a small village, “Konyango,” in the Western Part of Kenya (Kisumu County) along the Lake Victoria region where HIV is one of the most significant pandemics. Kisumu has the highest HIV prevalence, significantly above Kenya’s national average, with studies indicating a prevalence of around 17.5 per cent. With socio-cultural factors including poverty, lack of education and social dynamics of “Jaboya tradition” (sex in exchange for fish), new HIV infections continue to skyrocket in my hometown, particularly affecting women and adolescents. Growing up, the shadow of HIV/Aids was not a distant news story; it was a devastating reality…
Author: By Evelyn Odhiambo
My father passed away when I was five years old. While playing outside, I remember hearing my aunt, who by then was caring for him, scream in pain and my sisters, who at that time were out fetching firewood, rushing inside the house screaming. I knew my father was sick, and at that moment, I tried so hard to understand what was happening. Quickly, neighbours started wailing at our home, with others walking in circles as they wailed. Others paced in and out of the house, crying. A scene sad and confusing. Only now, in adulthood, do I understand how…
Father talking to her unhappy daughter. [Courtesy/GettyImages] My father passed away when I was five years old. While playing outside, I remember hearing my aunt, who by then was caring for him, scream in pain and my sisters, who at that time were out fetching firewood, rushing inside the house screaming. I knew my father was sick, and at that moment, I tried so hard to understand what was happening. Quickly, neighbours started wailing at our home, with others walking in circles as they wailed. Others paced in and out of the house, crying. A scene sad and confusing. Only…