HIV/AIDS on Mfangano

Mfangano and its surrounding islands in Lake Victoria have the highest rate of HIV infection of Kenya. The last statistic showed it at 43%. Compare this with the overall rate in Kenya of nearly 7%. This is a staggering difference. You can see the area represented by the big red dot on the map I have included. The testimony of the people there is that their people are dying. One testimony I heard expressed a concern that the entire tribe would be lost to the disease.

The tribal customs there include something called "wife inheritance". If a woman's husband dies, the brother will take the woman as his wife. (even if he has a wife already) If the man died of HIV and the woman was also infected, the new husband could be infected and pass it to his first wife. There is also a problem with many fishermen that travel throughout the region and use prostitutes and even entice children into the practice with the lure of fish or money. Many women become prostitutes because their husbands have died, they haven't remarried, and they don't know what to do to find food for themselves or their children. For them, it is a matter of survival. You can also imagine how many orphans this has created.

The lady in the photo with me was named Helen. Helen had HIV. She asked Jesus to forgive her sins. She is in heaven now. She died a few months after this photo was taken.

In 2005, my first time in Kenya, Pastor Joshua asked if I would come the next year and teach a "True Love Waits" program. (to be continued)