“Having money is not enough, but we have to sleep with these fishermen to get fish”, said Jane Adhiambo a widow and a mother of three who earns a living through sell of fish.

According to statistics, Nyanza region leads in HIV prevalence in the country by 13% against 6.1% nationally. However, Gwassi division alone is leading by 35% meaning out of every 100 people, 35 might be infected.

“The latest records from the ministry of Health have shown that Nyandiwa is leading by over 35%”, said Fabian Kicha, Secretary of Nyakonya, a community based organization that is working hand in hand with government and other organizations to create awareness about HIV in the district.

Mr. Kicha who has lived in Nyandiwa for over 30 years said the trading centre attracts people from different areas who do not reveal their backgrounds and because of the blooming fishing business, sexual activities are very high.

According to Adhiambo, it is very difficult for a woman to get fish if she doesn’t have a “Jaboya”. Jaboya is a Luo word meaning the owner of the boat. When the Jaboya brings fish to the shore, there is always a group of buyers waiting. But for one to get the fish there must be extra attention which is always a sexual favour. Most of the buyers are women.

“Imagine my customers are waiting and my children need to eat. If I keep on waiting I may end up not getting fish, so I have to quickly negotiate a deal and go my way,” said 38 year old Adhiambo.

The high HIV prevalence in Gwassi has led to increased number of orphans, widows, teenage pregnancies and child headed families. Young girls also have fallen prey of the fishermen who lure them with gifts. This has led to high school drop outs driving young girls into night clubs.

“There are over 52 schools in Gwassi and in every school; you find that about 40% are orphans. Like Godbura primary school with a population of about 400 students, almost 200 are orphans,” Kicha said.

Young boys have fallen victim of the risks going on at the lake shores. Most of these boys are orphans and others help their fathers to do fishing on weekends. According to the Family Support Community Based Initiative (FASCOBI) dealing with the rights of children in Suba district, the boys get a lot of money which they spend in buying sex from night clubs.

“These boys earn more than their teachers. Imagine a13 year old boy in class eight having 10,000 shillings in his pocket! What can a teacher tell him?” Nicholas Omumbo, a field officer of FASCOBI.

However, authorities in the area have put strict measures to reduce child defilement while boys are left to go to older women for sex. According to Omumbo, over 100 defilement cases have been handled in courts of law where some of the perpetrators have been jailed for up to twenty years.

The area Chief Charles Akondo Tubare said sensitization programs have been put in place to encourage communities to go for HIV counselling and testing.

“We don’t encourage wife inheritance as it is the major factor to HIV infection. We are urging people to go for testing so that if one is positive he or she should live positively and if he or she negative should live negatively,” he said.

Despite these efforts, there is still another major risk in form of Abila. Abila is a hut where fishermen have their meals and rest. In every Abila there is a woman who prepares food for up to six men who operate a single boat. The woman is supposed to sleep with each man in turn every night to maintain the business.

Chief Akondo said Abila is not allowed and measures have been put in place to stop it.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcisions (VMMC) as a measure to cut down on the infections has been positively impressed especially by young boys who think they are immune from infections. This drives boys into buying sex in night clubs.

Studies have shown that, male circumcision reduces HIV infection by 60%. It also prevents women from getting cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

However, circumcision is not a certificate to unsafe sex but one should use condom alongside other preventive measures.