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The rains are about to begin, but Consolata Achieng’ no longer worries about a leaking roof — a sharp contrast to last year’s wet season, when she endured cold and flooding in a makeshift hut that nearly collapsed under the weight of the relentless downpour.

Consolata now has a new house, courtesy of the Widows’ Empowerment Programme. Her Rang’wena Women’s Group is relieved, as the 85-year-old widow has been under their care since she lost her husband 35 years ago. Well-wishers also bought her furniture and utensils before giving her money to start a small business to sustain herself.

Urban sprawl has encroached on Consolata’s home, which once sat on a spacious plot on the outskirts of Homa Bay Town. Today, she lives in a tiny compound with no land to till, following the death of her nine children.

“Things began to fall apart when my husband died. I lost my land to my in-laws and became a beggar. When my children passed away, I could not cope with the devastation, worsened by the stigma I faced,” Consolata recalled.

When Widows’ Empowerment Programme Director Victor Ayugi and his team visited Consolata last year and built her a new house, it was a turning point — part of her journey to overcome the cultural barriers that had long dominated her life.

“In my culture, you cannot do many things without an inheritor after your husband dies. I couldn’t have a new house because no one was willing to build one for me. According to our traditions, one must undergo certain rituals before getting a new house or going to the farm,” she explained.

Ayugi says the Programme is dedicated to giving hope, nurturing resilience, and fostering independence among widows who remain highly vulnerable due to economic hardship, social isolation, legal discrimination, and emotional trauma.

The programme has adopted a holistic approach, incorporating economic empowerment, social support, legal advocacy, mental health services, and community engagement.

Founded two years ago, the initiative envisions a future where widows are not only supported but celebrated for their resilience and contribution to society.

Officials say the programme targets three widows’ groups per ward across the Nyanza region. So far, over 3,500 widows have benefited.

One recurring concern raised in engagements with widows is the persistent discrimination and stigma they face. Other pressing issues include inadequate shelter, forced wife inheritance, and denial of land rights.

“Customary law demands that widows marry a brother of their deceased husband to survive. Refusal often leads to various forms of persecution and blackmail,” said one programme official.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society — “Widow cleansing and inheritance among the Luo in Kenya: the need for additional women-centred HIV prevention options” — revealed that widows often have to balance the risk of HIV infection with cultural expectations and the need to secure their livelihoods.

Sexual abstinence is viewed as a breach of tradition in widowhood, while condom use is deemed inappropriate during culturally prescribed sexual rituals, and is often not within the widow’s power to negotiate.

Widows — and even married women — are expected to adhere to sexual customs tied to major events. These include house construction, agricultural milestones such as tilling, planting, and harvesting, and ceremonies such as funerals or weddings of some relatives.

Although more widows are now choosing to forego these rituals, many still comply due to pressure from their in-laws, their own families, or fear of social exclusion and misfortune.

Multiple scientific studies link the burden of HIV to areas where such customs are prevalent.

According to the National Syndemic Disease Control Council’s Kenya HIV Estimates Portal, the national HIV prevalence in 2023 stood at 3.3 per cent. Among women, it was 4.46 per cent; among men, 2.16 per cent.

The top five counties with the highest prevalence of HIV were Kisumu (11.7 per cent), Homa Bay (10.6 per cent), Migori (10.5 per cent), Siaya (9.5 per cent), and Busia (5.0 per cent).

A total of 20,480 HIV-related deaths were recorded nationwide in 2023. Kisumu led with 1,761 deaths, followed by Homa Bay (1,404), Migori (1,364), Nakuru (1,363), and Siaya (1,202).

The plight of widows is compounded by their lack of land and property rights.