Welcome to Nyaoga, Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria. If you were to walk down the dirt road leading into this village you would meet extremely poor people struggling to survive. You’d notice that their feet were severely cracked and callused. If you entered one of the mud homes, you might see a woman stirring a large pot of ugali (corn meal and water) her family’s one meal for the day. You might see kerosene lamps in a few of the homes, and maybe one or two pit latrines. Some of the children you’d meet would be attending school, but many more can’t afford the school fees, uniforms and books. You’d meet some people who have enough strength to work in the fields all day or who have a small business.They’d share their hopes of rebuilding their village. They’d show you the medical clinic and water projects, huge milestones and live-saving projects. You’d see the success and understand the continued need for help. They’d describe their agricultural and business endeavors. They’d tell you they simply want to feed their families and continue to improve the health of their community.
Meet the people of Nyaoga. The Women’s Group who helped make the Nyaoga Medical Clinic and Nyaoga Water Project a reality; the Victoria Young Women’s Group who understand the intrinsic value of education, and the Women Living Positively who, are working to support each other and lessen the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Together they represent the success that is possible, and the power of hope. But there is much work to be done.
Nyaoga Water Project
Lake Victoria, the only source of water for the village of Nyaoga, Kenya, is desperately polluted. For years, it has been making those who must rely on it ill with various water-borne diseases. Women and children spend 2-8 hours a day fetching the poisoned water from the lake. Wells cannot be dug because the…
Read MoreMedical Clinic Project
Once merely a dream of the Nyaoga Women’s Group, the Nyaoga Medical Clinic is now a reality. It serves a large community (over 15,000 people). Previously, residents of Nyaoga had to travel over an hour on deeply rutted roads in unreliable transport vehicles to obtain medical care at a government facility. Often, people were unable…
Read MoreNyaoga Women’s Group
When we first met the Nyaoga Women’s Group in 1999, we talked extensively with them and learned more about who they were and what they wanted for their community. The Nyaoga Women’s Group was formed in 1991 by 20 local women to improve the income, food security, and health status of the village. They were…
Read MoreWomen Living Positively Project
They have watched their husbands and daughters die from AIDS, and now they find themselves getting tested only to discover their worst nightmare is true. They are HIV positive. In a community where the stigma around HIV/AIDS is wrought with disgrace, this group finds strength in each other. “I thought I had lost everything, but…
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