Aid Cuts Revive 'Jaboya' as Kenyans Battle HIV Crisis

As the sun rises over Lake Victoria, Kendu Bay fishermen return with their night's catch to find women traders waiting on the shore. With U.S. aid cuts affecting incomes and healthcare services in western Kenya, many resort to exchanging sex for fish, reviving a harmful practice known as 'jaboya.'

'We are back to begging with our bodies,' says Mary, a fish trader from Homa Bay who chose to use a pseudonym due to the subject's sensitivity. The reduction in funding has led to the closure of clinics and programs that once supported women and promoted HIV awareness, causing infection risks to soar.

Community activists and health workers express concern as HIV treatment and prevention suffer, affecting women and LGBTQ+ people disproportionately. With PEPFAR support dwindling, essential services fade, and community groups struggle to meet the needs, fearing a reversal of the progress made over two decades.

(With inputs from agencies.)