Today, I have spent time in Homa Bay, Southwestern Kenya. It was a long, very emotional and amazing day with Cavin and his team. And a nice evening in a huge family of amazing people:

WA-WA means “fishing women”

Cavin Odero has established WA-WA, a social entrepreneurship organization. Cavin and his team take care of young women around Lake Victoria. Women who often have to prostitute themselves for a few cents in order to survive. More than 20% of women are HIV positive. WA-WA uses music and arts to connect with the young women.

Listen to this. It is simply a great voice and music and get more impressions

WA-WA provides education and income-generating measures. The women now learn to grow small fish to bigger ones and to sell fish themselves. Also table banking and basic business skills are part of the awareness and education activities.

The women earn 200 KES in average per day. That’s roughly 3 EUR. For a decent life at least 1000 KES per day would be needed. Molly, one the women tells me about her husband. He had an accident. Now he is paralyzed and needs therapies every day. He has no wheelchair, no toilet. She carries him... Molly is 25 years old and has three children.

In their daily life they all have many issues and struggle. Now they hope that with the fishing activity they can add some daily income. The Leopold Bachmann foundation from Switzerland has helped to rent a small piece in a fishing farm where these women have set up two water basins and will start soon their growing activities.

Later the day we are at home with Cavin’s grandma. She produces washable sanitary pads because menstruation and hygiene are often the cause for staying away from school. More info will follow in my next post.

What you could do

Cavin and his team are looking for mentors to help with awareness campaigns and donors to scale the income of the women. Also donations for the musicians in Cavin’s team are always welcome.WA-WA musicians need some drums, a saxophone and another guitar… and every time they do a youth event they need to lease the instruments … If you want to help and to know more, feel free to contact me.

More background info about fishing women at Lake Victoria