Fish cage saves women from shame of 'sex for fish' in Homabay

By Peter Ochieng

Members of a women group in Homabay County are ultimately free from the shackles of sex for fish.

Sex for fish, perpetrated by Joboya (fishermen who trade their fish for sex) is rampart along the shores of Lake Victoria, in Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay and Migori counties.

However, for members of a particular women group in Homabay, finally there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Members of the Murongo women group are proud operators of a fish cage, with capacity of 35, 000 fingerlings.

The journey for the 17-member women group started in July 2019, when they got training from Eco Network Africa.

After the training, the organization handed them the fish cage, in form of a loan.

Rose Kauta, Murongo women group chairlady said then, they were ‘useless people around the Lake.’

“Initially we were useless people around the Lake. We used to exchange our bodies for fish from the fishermen,” she said.

Under the right conditions, fingerlings take 6 to 8 months to mature into fish weighing 400 grams and above, with tilapia and mud fish being the common in cages along the shores of Lake Victoria.

According to Kauta, each harvest brings forth 4 tons of fish, a return of over Sh1.3 million.

70 per cent of the proceeds go back to Eco Network Africa to cater for repayment of the loan.

The rest is subdivided among group members.

The loan will be repaid until about July, 2024 before the cage becomes the group’s property.

Having to feed the fish thrice a day, Kauta says most of their time is spent in the Lake, leaving no room to idle around.

“Cage fish farming is very good. It keeps us busy. We have no time to waste. We feed the fish thrice a day,” she emphasized.

Her sentiments got the backing of a group member.

“Before, we were just local women exchanging sex for fish to make ends meet. Nowadays, we are very busy people,” she said.

The member said on a monthly basis, they conduct community outreaches aimed at empowering women and talking them out of the sex for fish vice.

However, she said they cannot accommodate all of them in their group because they only have one fish cage.

She urged the national government, county government and well wishers to offer them more cages, so that they can be able to bring more women on board.

Additionally, group members want the government to reduce the price of fish feeds, which they say has skyrocketed in the recent past.

The group is planning to make the next fish harvest in August, 2023.

Kevin Okumu, a resident of Mfangano where Murongo women group exists says they are doing a great job.

“These women are doing great. They can get their own money without depending on men and fishermen as was the case before,” he said.

Even as they plan to harvest their fish in August, various gaps such as lack of a ready market and unavailability of cold rooms for storage still loom large.

This means the group cannot harvest all the fish at ago. Sadly, this is compounded by middle men who buy their fish on the lower side, before selling at almost tripple price.

In addition, the group may reap more from the venture, if value addition mechanisms were in place.

Studies have shown that fish skin can be used to make shoes, besides being recycled into chicken feeds and manure.