Economic Empowerment in Kenya
Posted by Kent Klindera, May 29, 2013
MAAYGO members hold up their banner in Kisumu,
KenyaI just spent the weekend in Kisumu, Kenya – visiting with a
new GMT Initiative grantee the Men Against AIDS Youth Group (MAAYGO). Predominantly
made up of young gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans
individuals (collectively referred to as “GMT”), MAAYGO focuses on reducing the
HIV vulnerabilities of GMT through economic empowerment schemes. As one
member stated during a discussion in their office this past Saturday, “If you
are the breadwinner, it is interesting how all of a sudden homophobia in your
family goes away.”
Kennedy, Victor, and Simon with MAAYGO’s rentable
chairsamfAR, with support from the AIDS Fonds of the Netherlands,
is providing a small grant for MAAYGO to conduct a needs assessment of its
members, and then roll out a “microfinance” program that offers members loans
of roughly $150-$200 to start small businesses. MAAYGO will work with
members to develop formal business plans and mentor them in terms of entrepreneurship.
In addition, they will promote HIV testing and access to treatment and make
referrals to testing and treatment sites MAAYGO has already trained in
GMT-friendly health care.
Victor with MAAYGO’s catering equipmentBeyond the project, MAAYGO takes economic empowerment
seriously. As a community-based organization, they have purchased chairs
and catering equipment that they rent
out for various functions. Thus, they can use the chairs and catering
items for their own events, while also generating income for MAAYGO by renting
them out. In the year since they purchased them, they have already paid
for themselves fourfold. Sunday in Kisumu was “market day,” where local
farmers and sellers come to town to sell their vegetables and meat or peddle
their wares. The chairs were rented out very quickly, as MAAYGO’s office is
directly across the street from a market square.
MAAYGO believes strongly that if young GMT have choices in
their life, they will make healthy ones. Poverty is a major factor that
increases HIV vulnerabilities among GMT because at times MAAYGO members rely on
sex work to survive. MAAYGO is helping these young folks in Kisumu be
informed about HIV, as well as have a range of options in their life – all of
which helps motivate them to be healthier and to avoid HIV infection or to
remain adherent to HIV medication if they are already living with HIV.