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Kinage

By David Kattenburg

Bumbire Island sits on the northern tip of a sliver of an archipelago in southwest Lake Victoria, in Tanzania, East Africa. Nature on and around Bumbire is gorgeous—but the hardscrabble fishing camps scattered along its shores—and those of nearby rocky islets—are a different story. Listen here:

Men abound, accompanied by a scattering of women who deliver a variety of services. HIV-AIDS prevalence rates are sky high. I spent three days on Bumbire, hosted by American missionaries Dale and Christine Hamilton, who work with an NGO called Africa Inland Mission. Dale and Chris have set up clinics specializing in maternal-child health and AIDS awareness-raising.

Boniface (Boni) & James on boat to Kinagi

A small fishing camp

Arriving at Kinagi Island

Kinagi fishermen sharing a meal

Kinagi ‘disco’

Kinagi ‘disco’ workers

Chowing down at Kinagi ‘disco’

Playing checkers on Kinagi

Main Street, Kinagi

One of many pool tables on Kinagi

Lake Victoria, viewed from Kinagi

Dagaa

Dale Hamilton deep in a discussion with a group of Kinagians

Zampta [?