Vivian lives in Mutumbu village in Siaya county. Siaya county is in western Kenya with a population of 963,007.
Children below 15 years constitute 44 percent of the population, while youth aged 15-24 years make up 20 percent of the population (2015 KNBS Population Projections).
The area's main economic activities are subsistence farming, livestock keeping, fishing, rice farming, and small-scale trading.
HIV prevalence is 24.8 percent and youth aged 15-24 have a prevalence of 6.2 percent which is three times higher than the national youth HIV prevalence (Kenya HIV Estimates 2015). Women are at higher risk of HIV infection than men.
Vivian did not receive a formal education when she was young, but when she joined DREAMS she was able to enroll with the Mutumbu Special Unit, which offers programming and education for people living with learning disabilities.
Vivian is talented in beadwork. After entrepreneurship training, she began making beadwork with zeal. Vivian and her colleagues specialize in making key holders from beads and sell their products in the local markets in Siaya and Kisumu.
“I am grateful to be able to afford to buy my medication and earn a living at the same time."
Vivian
Girls with DREAMS
This profile is taken from the PEPFAR Kenya “Our Lens Sauti Zetu (Our Voices)” photo book — a compilation of images captured by DREAMS girls highlighting their own stories.
The following DREAMS girls were the eyes behind the lens and beautifully captured the stories of the young women featured in the project: Dorcas Akinyi Onyango, Agnes Wanjiru Mugure, Flovian Atieno, Faith Akumu, Francisca Ndinda, Effie Awino, Fatuma Lando, Dorothy Oyuga, Linet Odira, Hellen Atieno.
Text and images from “Our Lens Sauti Zetu (Our Voices)” are used with permission from PEPFAR Kenya. Learn more about Girls with DREAMS.