Women in Homa Bay County in Kenya have benefited from assorted equipment for cage fish production worth Sh6 million. The donation was given to 100 women under a programme in undertaken by Echo Network Africa and Menonite Economic Development Associates of Canada.
The beneficiaries hail from Litare, Wakula, Kaugege and Mrongo beaches in Mbita sub-County.
The plan is to make them self-reliant while plying the fishing trade so that they don’t become victims of exploitation. Among the items they received were motorized boat for carrying harvested fish, solar coolers for preserving fish, machines for processing fish feeds and solar lamps.
Earlier, the women had received the fish cages in which each beach got one cage. The cages are used for rearing fish in Lake Victoria.
The equipment is aimed at making the work easier for women to undertake fish cage farming. It also means they will no longer have to depend entirely on fish brought by fishermen.
“We used to beg men to give us coolers for storing our fish but today, they are the ones who seek our assistance. The project has reduced exploitation,” said Ms Esther Otieno, a cage fish farmer at Litare beach.
Ms Monica Auma, farmer, said the project enhances their financial stability. This, she said, had cushioned them from financial vulnerability.
“We can produce our fish on our own and this reduces poverty which has historically made women vulnerable to various forms of sexual abuse,” said Auma.