Lore, as he prefers to be called, was born HIV-positive. After his mother’s death, his older sister - ill of the same disease - raised him until she too died. She left him under the care of other siblings. Lore fell seriously ill at the age of 10 and tested positive for HIV. But his family was reluctant to inform him about his status, fearing the stigma he would be subjected to in school. After his schoolmates found his antiretroviral medication, they labeled him “the HIV boy.” “I almost quit school,” says Lore.

They call themselves the “Superstars” and are in their own little way helping Kenya tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The women’s group in the lakeshore county of Homa Bay is making soap as part of a chama (a type of small savings and loan group that is popular across Kenya). Each of the group’s members contributes money, which is used to buy soap-making ingredients. Once it is produced, each member receives an equal amount of soap to sell. The group meets every week to share out the proceeds, setting some of the funds aside to buy more reagents and provide loans to its members.