Stories by: Ivan Lucy

Fueled by the country's high unemployment rates, youths have turned to social media marketing. It offers a wide market reach for small business enterprises, improving their sales and audience interactivity.

As per a report by the World Health Organization in March 2023, globally, a woman dies of pregnancy emergency-related causes every two minutes. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate in Africa was 531 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Addressing the press during the dispatch, the County Chief Officer for Health, Dr Osuri, said that haemorrhage had been the most significant threat towards maternal deaths and with the availability of NASGs, stabilization and management of severe blood lo

Early detection has been a major challenge due to the lack of specialized eye care on the island, forcing only the financially abled residents to travel by water to Homa Bay for eye checkups.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health, 464,690 young girls between the ages of 10 and 24 abort annually, which leaves 2,600 women dead and 21,000 others hospitalized for complications from incomplete abortions.

Practical Action, a Non-Governmental Organization, has been at the forefront of helping farmers, especially women and youth, secure lands for farming under legal leases that protect them from farm owners' frustrations.

The county government, led by Governor Gladys Wanga, is now determined to transform Homa Bay into the nation's dominant cotton producer, unlocking new avenues for economic growth and rural prosperity.

"When I gave birth to my girl, the nurse in charge did not tell me about the condition of my child, it was disclosed to me at 6 weeks that my child had clubfoot and straight away I began the process," she said.

Despite the family's unstable income, the move to bury their kin without their permission did not feel right to them; hence, they declined the offer, which tore them further apart from their kinsmen.

"Hawkers who supply water to this slum have taken advantage of the shortage, and due to lack of funds we have been using sewer water for domestic use like Washing," she lamented.

Donkey keeping has been the backbone of the success of many farmers around the country, and when a farmer buries a donkey, the pain is equal to losing a loyal son.

According to the Association of Donkey Owners of Kenya (ADOK), the population of donkeys in Kenya decreased by 800,000 in about eight years. In 2016, the country had 1.8 million donkeys, which reduced to 1 million in 2023, a decrease of 44 percent.

In 2023, Homa Bay County reported 7,618 cases of sexual gender-based violence among teenagers. The breakdown by sub-county is as follows: Rachuonyo South (3,021 cases), Rangwe (1,080 cases), Mbita (803 cases), Ndhiwa (715 cases), Homa Bay Town (696 cases)

A situational analysis conducted in 2020, titled "Unintended Pregnancies and HIV Amongst Adolescents and Young People: A Situational Analysis of Homa Bay," revealed that 33% of girls aged between 15 to 19 in the county were already mothers, emphasizing th

During the dry season, the upper parts of Wang’chieng experience prolonged droughts that turn the lands yellow. At this time, the residents take advantage of the absence of rain to exercise their sand mining skills on the terrain.

During a recent visit by the NCPB, a committee discovered 107 bags of the fake fertilizer, raising concerns and prompting a warning to farmers against purchasing the counterfeit product.

Residents were shocked following the heavy floods that passed the village since it had not rained in that area that day. Massive landslides took place, sending heavy rocks to the residential homes of the villagers.

Quoting research done by AMPATH, Moly Ochar County Medical Outreach Coordinator and a sickle cell advocate show that 9.6% of 1.3 million people in Homa Bay are born with sickle cell.

Florence Adhiambo, a victim of the floods from the Kobala sub-location in Wang’ Chieng’ location, said that she fears the outbreak of diseases like malaria that will soon attack their children and families due to the floods.

Governor Wanga also said that the beneficiaries will have the power to command the economy in the coming years and her passion towards building a stable future for the youth begins with technical skill development.