How youth are combating the triple threat in Homa Bay

The sun rises over the vast shores of Lake Victoria, its golden light spilling across the villages of Homabay County. In the morning stillness, four young women meet, each carrying the weight of her own experience, yet they are bound together by something powerful.

Linda Achieng, Mary Akoth, Millicent Nyaram, and Poullet Awuor, may come from different backgrounds, but they are united by their commitment to ending the spread of HIV, an epidemic that has silently ravaged their community for decades.

The trio are part of a growing movement of youth volunteers determined to fight the “Triple Threat”—a surge in new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence. It is a battle they fight on the streets, in schools, and in their own homes.

A recent study revealed that HIV rates among young people have begun to rise once again, driven by the decrease in condom use and lack of sexual education. In Homabay County, where the HIV prevalence remains one of the highest in the country at 15.2 per cent, their work is more than a cause. It is a lifeline.

Achieng reflects on the urgency of their work: "I believe that meaningful youth participation is crucial to a prevention revolution," she says. "We need to reach young people at the grassroots level, arm them with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves, and dismantle the stigma surrounding HIV."

They work in partnership with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), a State agency and other partners as Kenya intensifies its campaign to end the Triple Threat by 2027.

The 21-year-old says she was motivated to become a volunteer to build an information-sharing mechanism between NSDCC and other partners and young people through social media.

“I felt that there was a lot of available information but no easy access to it. Through social media, I regularly share key documents, announcements and updates about how to protect one during sex, how to reduce the risk of getting HIV, and proper use of  condoms.”

She says she was enrolled in a health programme supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
“I want to help girls to know their HIV/AIDS status early and go for treatment before it is too late. I want to be a champion to tell youth to abstain from early sex," she says.

The four young women, like many others in their community, know this struggle intimately—not just as volunteers, but as witnesses to the personal stories of pain and resilience that shape their mission.

Data from the Ministry of Health reveals that in 2023, approximately 254,753 adolescent pregnancies were reported, out of which 13,239 were children aged 10 and 14 years.

In the same year, 23,456 adolescents and children aged between 10 and 17 years were sexually violated, and 3,403 were those aged 0–9 years. Approximately 67,869 children aged 0–14 years are living with HIV, while nearly 50 percent of terminated pregnancies occur in those aged between the ages of 14 and 24.

Mary Akoth, who recently turned 18, says she is determined to win this war and was motivated to be a volunteer after seeing what the county government is doing to end the threat.

“I want to preach this gospel to the youth and adolescents that HIV is still a major threat in our county and Kenya. I teach them how to protect themselves and on issues of gender-based- violence," says Akoth.

“I also encourage young people to know their HIV status. I tell girls about the HIV prevention medicine known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is one of the effective methods for preventing HIV.”
She continues:

“When I attend public meetings, I  ensure that I kickstart these conversations and talk openly about the use of condoms,  celibacy and what one should do in the event they encounter violence in their relationships. I realised that like myself a few years ago, young people have many questions and issues to deal with but they don't know who to turn to.  Also,  they are much more willing to open up to their peers," she adds.

However, she says that many girls lack access to menstrual health and hygiene products. “The government should highly subsidise sanitary pads because this is one of the reasons why girls find themselves in risky situations," she adds.

Millicent Nyaram, an optician by profession, says she was motivated to join the fight after discovering that many people lacked knowledge about the triple threat. “In rural areas, most people still hold taboos and myths about HIV”, explains Millicent.

“I want it to get to a point where adolescents are not getting HIV through the provision of education, and knowledge on how they can protect themselves from getting HIV.

“For those who are HIV-infected, I want to ensure they get into treatment so that the viral load is reduced,”  says the 26-year-old. She shares the information through advocacy on her social media platforms and public barazas.

Through her social media platforms, she has stepped up her campaigns against cultural issues that drive young people into actions that result in the triple threat. “I advocate for the creation of self-employment opportunities for the youth through the formation of groups.

During those group meetings, I get to talk about all these issues including drug and substance abuse,” she offers. Poullet Awuor, a youth ambassador is also on the front line of fighting sexual gender violence among young people in Homabay County,  a mission fostered by her own experiences.

“I’m a victim of gender-based violence.  I got married when I turned 22 years which was right after after completing my secondary school education," she offers.

Awuor is among the youth that were taken through training through a programme dubbed 'DREAMS' that enlightens youth in the region on matters of HIV, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence.

“The programme came into my life when I was at my lowest, emotionally. I needed such education in a safe space and I had no one to lean on.  This became my safe space," she says, and continues,

“I was taught about financial capabilities. I found means and ways of earning an income. In this area, many girls are not lucky enough to get training or a way to earn a living which makes them vulnerable to gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. "

She learnt how to make detergents that she sells in the neighbourhood and opened a grocery shop where she sells vegetables.

 “Taking part in volunteering work has opened my mind to the fact that we all have the right to be healthy, regardless of gender, and that HIV should not be a reason to stigmatise or discriminate against others.

I have learned so much that I want to empower other young people with information on how they can protect themselves or earn a living," she offers.
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