Support the "Knit Her Future" Initiative

On the shores of Lake Victoria, a tragic cycle continues to trap young women in a life of vulnerability and exploitation. In Kisumu’s beach communities, the fish-for-sex trade know best by the locals as "jaboya" has become a grim reality for many adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). It is a practice where young women are forced to exchange sexual favors for access to quality fish, a vital commodity in these areas. The consequences are devastating, and it is this heartbreaking reality that spurred HEDSO to launch the “Knit Her Future” initiative.

At just 18, Achieng'has already faced more hardship than most will ever know. Growing up in a fishing village near Usoma Beach, she watched her parents struggle to make ends meet as small-scale fishers. Fishing was their only livelihood, and as fish became harder to catch, her family fell deeper into poverty. Achieng' had no choice but to help, and she quickly found herself drawn into the dangerous cycle of the fish-for-sex trade.

At the age of 16, Achieng' became pregnant with her first child. She didn’t fully understand that she had a right to refuse the men who preyed on her vulnerability. Two years later, she found herself pregnant again, this time in a broken marriage filled with violence. Her husband, like many men in her community, had fallen victim to the same economic desperation that fueled rampant gender-based violence (GBV).

Achieng' endured constant physical and emotional abuse until she finally left the marriage, but she was left with the scars of that experience. Now, with two children to care for, Achieng' is back in her village, struggling to survive. “I didn’t want to do it,” she recalls with tears in her eyes. “But I had no money, no food, and no way out.”

Achieng ’s story is not unique. Across Kisumu’s sugar belt and beach communities, thousands of young women face the same struggle. Many, like her, have been pushed into transactional sex because their families depend on fishing as their only means of survival. With poverty rates in these areas exceeding 45%, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), AGYW are left with few options.

The fish-for-sex trade thrives in such conditions, where desperation meets limited opportunities. For Achieng' and so many others, the lack of education on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) was a significant factor in her situation. Without access to accurate information, girls are left unaware of their bodies, their rights, and the long-term consequences of their choices.

Achieng’s two children were born into a world where their mother had little control over her own body. She didn’t know how to protect herself from unintended pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This lack of knowledge is widespread in Kisumu’s beach communities, where the Population Council found that over 40% of AGYW lack proper SRH education.

HEDSO’s “Knit Her Future” initiative was created to break this cycle of exploitation. The organization’s mission is to empower AGYW like Achieng', ensuring that no young woman is forced to exchange her dignity for survival.They intend to do all this through economic empowerment by offering skills training and alternative livelihoods for adolescent girls and young women. They also do comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education providing young women with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their bodies and health, so that they can avoid high-risk situations and take control of their futures. From menstrual hygiene products to mental health care, the initiative provides AGYW with the resources they need to thrive, free from exploitation and abuse.For Achieng', “Knit Her Future” offers hope. It’s a pathway out of the dangerous cycle she’s been trapped in since childhood, and it’s a chance for her to build a better life for her children.

Achieng’s story is just one example of the systemic challenges faced by AGYW in Kisumu’s fishing communities. The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) reports that nearly 30% of young women in these regions have engaged in transactional sex as a survival strategy, often due to a lack of economic opportunities and limited access to SRH services.

The economic desperation in these communities not only drives exploitation but also fuels GBV. Achieng ’s marriage was destroyed by this toxic combination of poverty and violence, and sadly, her experience is shared by many other women in Kisumu’s fishing villages. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly half of all women in these areas have experienced some form of GBV, with intimate partner violence being the most common. On October 6th, 2024, we invite you to join us for a fundraising event that will bring awareness to the plight of AGYW in Kisumu’s fishing communities. The walk from Kisumu CBD to Usoma Beach is more than just a symbolic gesture—it’s a statement of our commitment to ending the fish-for-sex trade and supporting the young women who need us most.

But we can’t do this alone. We need your support—whether as an individual, a business, or an organization. Your donations can help provide menstrual hygiene products, fund SRH education, and support skills training programs that will give AGYW the economic independence they need to break free from exploitation. If you or your organization would like to support “Knit Her Future,” please reach out to HEDSO. Together, we can create lasting change for girls like Achieng ' and thousands of others in the lake region. Let’s give them the opportunity to knit their future with dignity, confidence, and hope.

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