FISH CAGE FARMING PROJECT FOR VULNERABLE WOMEN TO STOP SEX FOR FISH TRADE LEADING TO SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN NYANZA

Fundraising campaign by Andrew Owino
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Problem statement

The lake region has seen a surge and unending practice known as ‘jaboya’ whereby women

from destitute families and widows end up sleeping with the fishermen in exchange for fish

stock they can sell to make a living. Sex for fish menace was thought to have declined or was

nearing an end given the efforts put by certain organizations to provide the widows with boats

to aid them in fishing on their own. However, the depleting stocks of fish on Lake Victoria

have made this difficult thus forcing sex for fish to continue taking shape. This practice has

led to a rise in the rate of HIV/AIDS making the county experience a high number of

infections given that the women are likely to give birth to children infected with HIV/AIDS

because they cannot afford costs associated prenatal care.

Homabay County leads in HIV/AIDS prevalence. Based on the current report, the county has

the highest rate of infection at a rate of 26%. According UNAIDS (2017), 1.6 million in

Kenya are currently living with HIV with 5.4% prevalence among the adults, with Homa Bay

County having the highest rate of 26%. There were 62,000 new infections reported in 2016.

The same year saw 36,000 people die of AIDS. Currently 64% adults and 65% children are on

antiretroviral treatment. Deducing from the data herein, Kenya is among the countries that

have a high rate of HIV infections around the world. In as much as HIV/AIDS awareness has

been promoted around the country, there is a high rate of stigma which as a result makes those

living with the virus not get HIV services.

Throughfish caging project, Star of the lake aims to:

  • Empower the vulnerable groups of women and youth to be self-reliant and be able to
  • generate income by themselves.

  • Design a business model for the women through which their produce can be sold.
  • Setting up hatcheries where the women and youth can get readily available fingerlings.
  • Create employment directly for the women and youth.
  • Set up a fish filleting plant through which the women and youth can be able to earn from
  • value addition, create employment and ensure their financial security.

  • Secure financial security for the youth and women by setting up a micro-finance through
  • which they can save and get loans for trading and educating their children.

  • Network with individuals and organizations and rally for women living along the lake
  • shores to be enterprising and self-reliant.

    Star of the lake CBO aims to achieve its advocacy goals by:

  • Disseminating and documenting issues affecting widows living along the lake shores
  • Networking, communication and capacity building.
  • Advocating for changes and modification of cultural practices that make widows
  • vulnerable.

  • Setting up and running 3 Drop centers in Homa bay town, Makongeni and Mbita.
  • In as much as Star of the lake CBO has been undertaking Community mobilization and

    advocacy program for the past 12 years, the organization has not had a full impact on many

    lives because of lack of skills and relevant equipment. Our organization lacks puppeteers as

    the potential puppeteers lack even puppets to use in driving our advocacy programs. The

    organization also has to hire Public Address Systems from other organizations, thus

    inconveniencing and expensive when there are different forums running.

    In addition, Star of the lake CBO intends to open and run 3 Drop in centers in Mbita, Homa

    Bay Town and Makongeni. The organization currently has one center at Makongeni-Kapita

    area where it has reached out to the members of the community with other members of the

    coming from 100 Kilometers away. Star of the lake CBO’s need for 3 more drop centres arises

    from a number of reasons that include;

    a) Difficulty in raising bus fare since majority live in abject poverty with a daily expenditure

    below a dollar ($1).

    b) There are times when members are too sick to move to our center at Makongeni-Kapita

    area.

    c) The individuals who visit the centers are forced to ask for bus fare back home.

    d) The center space is too small to handle clients.

    The drop in centers will enable the members (as well as non-members) to:

  • Gain from teaching on how to set up and manage the fish cages.
  • Business management training centres.
  • Share experiences with other community members.
  • Empowering women and youth to be self- reliant
  • It is on this background that star of the lake CBO would like to contribute towards capacity

    building on community mobilization, advocacy and the establishing of Drop in centers in

    Homa bay town, Makongeni and Mbita. Given this support, Star of the lake CBO will be able

    to achieve greater levels of impact. In addition, the women and youth who majority are

    HIV/AIDS orphans will be working towards ensuring self-reliance as they continue to take

    care of their children and head households.

    The Strategy

    Star of the Lake CBO will empower its members on the rights through training and

    membership-level forums. These members will be in charge of empowering the community at

    large. In addition, youth from Star of the lake CBO membership will be trained on how to

    manage the fish cage project, feeding the fish, cleaning the cages, fish diseases and how best

    to manage them.

    Activity Goal and Purpose

    Goal and Purpose

    The goal and overall purpose of the proposed initiative is to eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS

    among women and other vulnerable groups along the lake shores.

    Guiding Concept

    The guiding concept of this proposal is that through community empowerment on income

    generation through fish caging, there will be increased decline in the level of HIV/AIDS

    spread among the residents of Homa Bay County living along the lake shores.

    Objectives:

    Overall Objective

    The project's overall objective is to strengthen Star of the lake CBO’s capacity to advocate and

    mobilize the community towards reducing HIV/AIDS infection rate within Homa Bay county

    and alleviation of poverty among the women living with HIV/AIDS.

    Specific Objectives

  • Train the 120 youths and women on fish caging.
  • Train 20 members of staff and volunteers on business management.
  • Purchasing a Public Address System (PAS).
  • Setting up and running 3 Drop in centers in Homabay town, Mbita and Makongeni.
  • Producing education materials.
  • Conduct quarterly entrepreneurship forums to inform the community on how to
  • generate income through fish caging.

    Expected Outcomes:

     A strong Star of the lake CBO fish caging group.

     A strong advocacy team within star of the lake CBO.

     Reliance of the women and youth on fish to make a living.

     Stimulating various organizations fighting against HIV/AIDS to institute Advocacy

    Projects within their programs for greater impact.

     Improved partnership in setting up income generating activities for the vulnerable

    groups of women and youth along the lake shores.

     Improved standards of life of women living with HIV/AIDS by involving them in fish

    caging projects for income generating activities and easing their access to economic

    opportunities.

     Decline in the spread and effect of HIV/AIDS within the community.

     Contributing towards the global demand for an increase in fish production.

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    US$0.00
    raised of $100,000.00 goal
    0% Funded
    0 Donors

    No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities