 What is Yote Yawezekana Women's Group? Yote Yawezekana is a self-help group run by and for the welfare of widows that have been affected both directly and indirectly by HIV/AIDS, particularly through the loss of their husbands. “Yote Yawezekana”, as the name translates, All Is Possible, was formed to give hope and support to its members. The group is comprised of 16 members (ages 25-60 years), of whom many are widows whose husbands died of HIV/AIDS and the remaining are yet to know their HIV status. Several of the original members of the group have tragically passed away due to their illness. HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in this village are high, estimated at about 20%.
Yote Yawezekana is based in Western Province of Kenya, about 2 hours from Kisumu, with the surrounding area totaling 20,000 inhabitants from the Luhya Community. They are registered locally as a Community Based Organization (CBO). The CBO’s main aim has been improving the social and economic well being of widows and their families through working to uplift the standards of living. The area is one of the poorest in the country, with per capita income typically below $1 per day. Subsistence agriculture is the main economic activity including maize, sweet potatoes and some vegetables.
The area does not have electricity, running water, or a paved road linking it to the main Kisumu-Kakamega highway. There are three primary schools and one secondary school. The village has only one rural health clinic. There are no doctors and serious cases have to be taken to the provincial hospital in Kakamega town, about 15 kilometers away and Mukumu Mission Hospital, about 13km away. This journey includes going by foot or bicycle or wheelbarrow and matatu bus.
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