The true price of a 33-cent condom and my contribution to fighting HIV/AIDS

Years into research, this is still a topic I am not fully comfortable talking about, as I am sure many people are too. Yet, there are days when we have to step out of our comfort zone. 
HIV/AIDS is a part of the Kenyan landscape; it’s always in the media and always on one’s mind. Yet being mostly involved in research on financial inclusion, I did not realize the scale of the problem until I ran into the 2014 Ministry of Health’s report that estimated 88,620 new infections among Kenyan adults in 2013. This is 243 new cases daily. While the number is shocking, my idea is not to pass a judgment but to understand the situation and find a way to meaningfully contribute to fighting the disease. 
I did some research first to understand the issue. According to the situational analysis published by UNESCO, poverty is “the major contributor to the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in Kenya.” Indeed, 59% of Kenyan adults live below the poverty line, i.e. on less than $2 a day; the two counties with the highest adult HIV prevalence, Homa Bay and Siaya, also are among the poorest in the country. 
So, what is the financial burden of buying a common HIV protection item – a condom – for somebody who is poor? I scouted several stores; and the cheapest condom I could find was 30 KSH or approximately $0.33. At first sight, this is pretty cheap. Yet, it’s not – it is 17% of daily expenses for a person living on $2 a day. When I asked my colleagues, what they can buy for 30 KHS (I did not tell them why I was asking), all of them said, “This is very little… Too little.” However as I kept questioning, every single one was able to name at least one thing they can buy for 30 KSH. Here are just some examples: 3 eggs, 6 tomatoes, ¼ liter of fresh milk, sukuma wiki (kale) for a family of five, a bag of potato chips and a one-way matatu/minibus ride to or from work. Note: most examples are food. 
In the context of poverty, the Maslow’s pyramid remains my best guide to understanding issues and situations. Among the myriad of spending opportunities competing for a small budget – including utility bills, rent, clothes and medical expenses – food always wins. Cash is king in money delivery; food is king in money spending. As long as people suffer from hunger, they will not buy condoms. 
Hence, if I want to help fight HIV/AIDS, I can buy a condom to give away, to drop at the nearest community clinic. One or two every time I go to a grocery store will become 200-250 a year. This might not be much, but this is something I can do today. This is my contribution. What’s yours?