Alternative sources of funds that keep fight against HIVAids going

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 that ripped through my family. I witnessed the slow and agonising decrease of loved ones - victims of a virus that seemed to steal not just life but the very essence of joy from my family and others.