In November of 2019, I was part of an NPR team that visited a remarkable group of women in the Kenyan village of Nduru Beach, on the shores of Lake Victoria. They had formed a cooperative called "No Sex for Fish." That bold name spoke to their mission: bringing an end to the practice of fishermen asking for sexual favors in exchange for giving a female fishmonger a catch of fish to sell.
These women had a brilliant idea: If they owned their own boats, they could hire men to fish for them. With the help of PEPFAR, the U.S. program that fights HIV, and the charity World Connect, they did get 10 or s0 boats. When we visited, some of the boats had fallen into disrepair. The women were not discouraged; they were busy writing a new grant to get more vessels.
I have a vivid memory of eating lunch with Justine Adhiambo Obura (pictured above, at right in front of the boat). She's the group's chairperson. In her welcoming home, we dined on a sweet-tasting fish from Lake Victoria. We played with her kitten. She shared her youthful dream of being a doctor -- until she dropped out of school after becoming pregnant.
Justine had faced hardships over the years. And she had overcome. She was a powerhouse.
Just a few months later, terrible storms caused Lake Victoria to rise up and flood their village. The 1,000 or so residents had to flee. Their homes, many made with mud walls and thatched or tin roofs, were no longer habitable. They've tried to keep No Sex for Fish going but it's been a struggle. Yet they still come together for "table banking" -- contributing a portion of their earnings from various enterprises to a community fund, with loans available to those in need. Sometimes the need is as simple and yet critical as paying for transportation to a local clinic to get HIV meds for those who are HIV positive.
The upheaval in U.S. aid has had an impact on the supply of these meds to those HIV positive members -- instead of six months worth of pills, now the women say they are getting a month's supply. That means more trips to a clinic that may be an hour's walk away -- and a nagging fear about the future.
This spring, we sent a reporter and photographer to revisit these women to see how they are now doing. As Justine put it, they are "surviving with grace." But their survival is precarious.
'Neglected tropical diseases' now face even more neglect
U.S. aid cuts could jeopardize the supply of donated drugs that are hailed for their effectiveness in combating neglected diseases like river blindness, schistosomiasis and trachoma.
You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
