Kenya

/Tag: Kenya

 

11 11, 2023

Life Was Improving For ‘No Sex For Fish.’ Then Came The Flood

2024-09-16T10:44:24-04:00Tags: |

In Nduru Beach, Kenya, along the shores of Lake Victoria, Alice Akinyi Amonde and other women leaders fought against the exploitative practice of trading sex for fish in the fishing business. They formed the No Sex For Fish program, with grants from USAID and World Connect, supporting women to purchase their own boats and hire men to fish for them, reversing the power dynamic. However, the village faced catastrophic flooding due to climate change, destroying homes and livelihoods. Despite the challenges, the women demonstrated resilience, seeking alternative forms of income such as raising goats or growing rice. This program exemplifies solutions to adress sexual exploitation by supporting women, recognizing their rights, and supporting livelihoods in vulnerable communities. 

17 11, 2022

Vanessa Nakate, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Wants to Center Climate Frontline Communities

2023-11-28T20:55:20-05:00Tags: , |

Vanessa Nakate, the founder of the Rise Up movement, emphasizes the importance of recognizing the ways that frontline communities are uniquely affected by the climate crisis. Her work in Kenya gave her first hand exposure to the impacts of the crisis on vulnerable communities. Many countries in the Horn of Africa, as well as developing nations around the world, bear the brunt of the damage from the crisis while contributing the least. In Fact, Africa accounts for less than 4% of historic carbon emissions, and yet Africans are among the worst affected by their consequences. Nakate focuses specifically on the impacts of malnutrition from drought, flood, and other climate disasters leading to food and water shortages. UNICEF’s Children Climate Risk Index found that nearly half of the world’s children live in 33 countries that face extreme existential threats from climate change, the top 10 all being African countries. Nakate stresses the importance of sharing stories and data even when it is difficult to hear, and the significance of ensuring that people of color, young people, and people in the developing world are included and heard in conversations around the crisis. Photo credit: Daylin Paul/UNICEF

8 09, 2020

Solar Power Helps To Save The Lives of Mothers and Infants

2020-12-02T21:51:05-05:00Tags: |

Pregnant women in Kenya are at a high risk of maternal and infant mortality due to a lack of access to hospital care. Power outages in hospitals affect vaccine storage and prevent usage of the necessary technology to resuscitate newborns and provide other life-saving care that is tied to the grid. The Maternal and Newborn Improvement Project installed solar panels on 33 health care facilities to serve as backup power. Nurse Emily Wamalwa, in Bungoma County, is now able to use solar energy when the power goes out to keep incubators and fridges running, saving the lives of babies and mothers.  Photo Credit: Video Capture

6 07, 2018

The Elderly Kenyan Women Weaving Their Way To A More Sustainable Future

2020-10-05T20:25:33-04:00Tags: |

A group of elderly Kenyan women in Mathiga village, northeast of Nairobi, have become entrepreneurs by taking advantage of their basketry skills, in an area where they could barely manage to farm. By selling their baskets to tourists, as the demand increased, their livelihoods got better. Despite the challenges to the tourism sector brought about by attacks by Somali-linked Islamists, their goods still got attention, even beyond Kenya’s borders. Basketry has not only offered them a source of livelihood, but it has also opened doors for them in the world. Photo credit: Thomson Reuters Foundation/Caroline Wambui  

14 02, 2018

Kenya’s ‘Erin Brockovich’ Defies Harassment To Bring Anti-Pollution Case To Courts

2018-03-02T14:04:12-05:00Tags: |

Anti-pollution activist Phyllis Omido is finally receiving her day in court, after years at the forefront of a landmark class action suit demanding compensation and clean-up from a lead-smelting factory accused of poisoning residents of Owino Uhuru. The founder of the Centre for Justice, Governance, and Environmental Action, Omido has already successfully forced the closure of the factory and is now seeking reparations for community members. A co-winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, Omido is paving the way for other environmental litigations – even in the face of constant intimidation and threats. However, for Omido, this is just the start, as there are 17 other communities fighting for compensation for lead poisoning with whom she plans to organize. Picture Credit: Jonathan Watts

1 12, 2017

“Even If They Want To Kill Us, Let Them Kill Us Here. We Must Continue To Stay.” Sengwer Women Cry For Help In The Embobut Forest, Kenya

2018-07-13T15:11:33-04:00Tags: |

Since the British colonial rule, the Sengwer people of the Embobut forest in Kenya have been continuously evicted from their ancestral land in the Cherangani Hills. Now under the guise of conservation and forest preservation, the Sengwer continue to live in constant fear of evictions, a process that leads to loss of cultural vitality, peace, and food security. The effects of the evictions are especially harmful to women, as they have led to loss of ability to take care of children, loss of household property, and an increase in sexual abuse, harassment, and psychological distress. In response to these gendered pressures, the Sengwer women have decided to voice their concerns to government officials, writing a “call for help” on the Forest Peoples Programme’s website. Written by Milka Chepkorir, a Sengwer community member, this call tells of their suffering, concerns, hopes, and their ties to their ancestral land. Photo Credit: Forest Peoples Programme

2 09, 2017

How Some African Farmers Are Responding To Climate Change—And What We Can Learn From Them

2017-10-16T18:03:55-04:00Tags: |

Mary Gichuki, a farmer in Kiambu County, is among many small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa advancing agricultural innovations to adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts on food security. With support from the World Agroforestry Centre, Gichuki not only plants drought-resistant, high-protein fodder trees as alternative animal feed, but also sells fodder seeds and teaches other farmers how to use them. She helps over 60 customers each month benefit from this hardy crop.

31 07, 2017

Snapshots From Kenya: Women Climate Defenders

2017-10-31T19:12:36-04:00Tags: |

Masaai women from the Enooretet community in Transmara, Kenya and the Naramam community of West Pokot, Kenya are combating deforestation and sustainably managing natural resources by growing tree nurseries and using energy-efficient stoves. MADRE and the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) brought the communities together to share knowledge and best practices of responding to climate change at a training with Lucy Mulenke (IIN) and Natalia Caruso (MADRE) in the summer of 2017. The women built skills in women's and human rights while building friendships and business smarts. Photo credit: MADRE

25 07, 2017

Helen And Sylvia: A Transformative Friendship

2020-10-06T23:38:51-04:00Tags: |

In partnership with the the Indigenous Information Network (IIN), the global feminist organization MADRE facilitated an exchange of farming knowledge between two indigeous Kenyan women, Hellen and Sylvia. Hellen is a mother of five living in Chepareria, Kenya. She is a member of the Pokot Indigenous People and sells crops from her one acre farm. Sylvia, a Maasai woman, lives 250 miles away in Ololulunga, Kenya. With her maize crops dying due to drought, Sylvia was struggling to support herself and her family. At a MADRE event, the two women met each other, and Helena showed Sylvia her small poultry farm. Inspired by Helena’s poultry farm, Sylvia started her own. She now sells chicken eggs at the local market and finds it easier to support her family. Photo Credit:madre.org

15 05, 2017

Lamu Woman Representative Shakila Abdalla To Move To High Court To Stop Proposed Coal Plant

2017-10-05T18:23:54-04:00Tags: |

Kenyan politician Shakila Abdalla is fighting to keep the proposed Sh200 billion coal plant out of Lamu, Kenya. Mobilizing residents and activist groups, Abdalla has spoken out about the deleterious impacts on human health, World Heritage Sites and tourism of the project. If the National Environment Tribunal does not consider the health hazard of this project, Abdalla said she will take the case to court. Photo credit: Alphonce Gari

8 03, 2017

Celebrating Women Farmers In Nyando: Transforming Lives Through Climate-Smart Agriculture

2017-08-20T09:39:15-04:00Tags: |

Nyando is an agricultural community near Lake Victoria, Kenya, where most households are both headed by women and food insecure. To combat frequent drought, women farmers like Catherine Akinyi, the chairwoman of Obinju Smart Farm Group, are employing sustainable agricultural practices and climate-smart interventions to improve their livelihoods. Now, female farmers are accessing improved crop varieties, creating greenhouses resistant to drought and flooding, raising livestock in a sustainable manner and starting small businesses. Photo credit: T.Muchaba (CCAFS)

25 01, 2017

Home-Grown Kenyan Solar Farm Powers Computers And Protects Girls

2017-09-29T19:11:13-04:00Tags: |

Ten years ago, residents of the village of Olosho-Oibor decided to install solar panels to meet their most basic energy needs, as they had no connection to the national power grid. They never thought that the solar farm project would grow to become an energy provider for computers used by women entrepreneurs for their businesses, children who need to study long hours, and a centre that protects girls from early marriage and female genital mutilation. Photo credit: TRF/Benson Rioba

19 10, 2016

Can This Woman Restore Kenya’s Faith In Solar Power?

2017-09-29T19:15:16-04:00Tags: |

As a competent solar engineer, Daphin Juma doesn’t forget her childhood in the Haruma slum of Nairobi without access to energy. Now she is determined to provide everyone with electricity and intends to do that with the help of sunshine. Daphin took part in a program developed by the Women in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship in partnership with USAID and Strathmore University that trains women as solar engineers. The idea is to make the most of Kenya’s potential on solar power, with adequately trained solar engineers, while closing the gender gap in the sector. Photo credit: Daphin Juma/Facebook

8 09, 2016

Clay Stoves Help Reduce Carbon Pollution, Greenhouse Effect

2017-09-29T18:48:28-04:00Tags: |

Eunice was inspired by a simple homemade stove in her mother’s house to teach women in her community in Kenya how to build their own clay stoves. The stoves not only require less wood for burning but also reduce smoke, which is connected to the respiratory problems Eunice had witnessed as a health worker. Photo credit: Gichuru Mugira

22 08, 2016

Climate-Change-Friendly Milk That Empowers African Women: Camels Are The New Cows

2017-10-31T12:12:22-04:00Tags: |

In Isiolo, Kenya, the women-led work of cow and goat milk production has been under threat due to long and increasing droughts. However, women entrepreneurs like Maryam Osman are now leading a climate-resilient camel milk cooperative, empowering women in the region while adapting to climate change.

5 06, 2016

Grassroots Communities’ Conservation Practices In Kenya Receive Award On World Environment Day

2017-09-13T11:05:40-04:00Tags: |

For the 2016 World Environmental Day, the Global Forest Coalition and the Indigenous Environment Network recognized Indigenous women's groups and primary schools in Nairobi, Kenya, for their work on the conservation of biodiversity and climate change adaptation. Among the awardees was the Engongu Entim women's group and two primary schools from Kenya, Narosura and Ereteti. Both institutions worked on planting different species of trees in Narok County, Kenya, where the famous Maasai Mara National Park is located. The work of the primary schools and the Engongu Entim women's group goes beyond local conservation, tackling the issue of environmental education and awareness for young people, with future plans to engage more female organizations in their efforts.  Photo credit: Isis Alvarez

15 03, 2016

This Entrepreneur Is Helping Farmers In Kenya Create A Path Out Of Poverty

2017-07-19T21:33:14-04:00Tags: |

Female entrepreneur Jamil Abass founded M-Farm, a female-led information sharing platform that helps local Kenyan farmers sell their produce at a fair price. Close to 70 percent of Kenyans work in agriculture, but without information about the selling prices of their crops from day to day, they’re often exploited by middlemen. Photo credit: One.org  

22 09, 2015

Women Of Kenya Harvest Rainwater

2017-07-12T20:47:35-04:00Tags: |

Worldwide, 1.2 billion people live in water-scarce regions, where waterborne diseases like diarrhea spread easily and women spend hours per day collecting water. Rose Atieno and Catherine Ondele are bringing clean drinking water to rural villages in Kenya as part of a wider initiative to empower women by providing them with the skills to harvest rainwater. Photo credit: Karin Slater

3 06, 2015

Toting Panels On Donkeys, Maasai Women Lead A Solar Revolution

2017-07-17T17:38:10-04:00Tags: |

Jackline Naiputa, leader of the Osopuka Edonyinap women's solar energy group, is one of many incredible Maasai women on the frontline of Kenya’s solar revolution. More than 200 women have been trained in solar panel installation and are bringing clean, affordable energy to communities across the remote region. Photo credit: TRF/Leopold Obi

28 05, 2015

Ruth Nyambura: Protecting Rights Of Nature Front Line Defenders

2018-03-01T12:26:14-05:00Tags: |

Ruth Nyambura, from the African Biodiversity Network, pointed out during Paris International Rights of Nature Tribunal that we should deal with the rights of Mother Nature along with the protection of the people who defend her and the problem of their criminalization. First, it is important to build an understanding of the system which uses the criminalization of these defenders and focus on how to demand the rights of Indigenous defenders by States which have committed genocides. Furthermore, there is a need for a systems approach to the climate crisis: we need to talk more about racism, colonization, patriarchy and borrow ideas of climate justice for the protection Rights of Nature defenders. Photo credit: Rights4Nature

7 05, 2015

Phyllis Omido Shuts Down Dangerous Lead Smelter

2017-07-20T17:45:42-04:00Tags: |

Phyllis Omido, a single mother from Mombasa, Kenya took action to close a local lead smelter after finding out that her child was suffering from lead poisoning from her breast milk. She collected data in the form of local knowledge and hospital visits with patients suffering from lead poisoning, and founded the Center of Justice, Governance and Environmental Action. With proof of the plant’s impacts, Omido organized letter-writing campaigns and street protests, and in 2014 the smelter ceased operations. Throughout the duration of the protests, Omido was arrested and attacked by armed men. Today, Phyllis Omido continues to push for a clean and safe environment for all Kenyans. Photo Credit: Goldman Environmental Prize

24 04, 2014

Eunice Ngoki: The Queen of Arrow Roots

2018-01-24T18:45:52-05:00Tags: |

Eunice Ngoki of Ngurumo village, Ntakira, Kenya has made a name for herself cultivating Arrow Root and other traditional indigenous crops. As part of her work as a member of Meru Jitegemee group, and with the Institute of Culture and Ecology, she is sharing seeds and knowledge with her community members, and acting as an example for other small-scale farmers on how to meet family nutrition and economic needs in a sustainable way. Photo credit: African Biodiversity Network

1 01, 2014

Farmer: Eunice Wangari

2017-11-14T21:43:03-05:00Tags: |

Eunice Wangari is is an innovative farmer who puts her knowledge into practice. She has introduced Indigenous food crops on her farm and has multiplied Indigenous food crop seeds. She has also introduced an innovative live fence of castor oil plants that serves as a woodlot within the homestead. Photo credit: African Biodiversity Network

1 01, 2014

Vein Nyanduko Moranga: Growing Indigenous Crops

2017-11-14T21:43:12-05:00Tags: |

Vein Nyanduko Moranga grows indigenous crops and specialises in indigenous vegetables. In order to broaden her knowledge, she has consulted elderly famers on millet cultivation, harvesting, and recipe preparation. Now, vegetable vendors purchase vegetables from her farm. Vein is proud to be able to educate and pass her knowledge to her children through the growing and sale of vegetables.

6 10, 2013

Kenyan Women Become Champions For Climate Change Policy

2017-10-16T23:09:37-04:00Tags: |

Kenya’s rural women are undergoing serious challenges around the changing climate, especially in the area of food production. The Kenya Climate Justice Women Champions (KCJWC), a non-profit organization, is working tirelessly to not only offer a space for Kenyan women to understand better the issues around climate change, they are also engaging at the national policy level by recruiting Kenyan women parliamentarians to champion climate-related policies that will benefit Kenyan women. Photo credit: Isaiah Esipisu

11 03, 2013

Food Hero: Rose Karimi, Women Going Green

2017-10-31T12:12:44-04:00Tags: |

Growing up in rural Kenya, Rose Karimi witnessed the struggle of women coffee farmers. Now a doctoral student at Rutgers University, Rose developed an organization to help women in her community. Women Going Green is a five-year project allowing small-scale women farmers to adopt low-cost climate change adaptation strategies, such as solar-powered drip irrigation systems, and achieve food security. Photo credit: Food Tank

12 01, 2010

Wangari Maathai And The Green Belt Movement

2018-01-12T14:45:20-05:00Tags: |

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Prize Winner, Kenyan environmentalist and political activist founded Maathai Foundation in 1970s. Challenges like governance didn’t deter her. She started with changing and collaborating with decision making bodies to successful build the momentum of environmental conservation and reducing poverty. The Green Belt Movement she helped to develop trains rural women to grow tree seedlings for reforestation efforts. Gakanga Tree Planting site, Central Province, Kenya is one such example where the barren land was turned into lush green valley due to the efforts of the Green Belt Movement. Not only has this movement increased the amount of greenery and biodiversity, but it has also helped the people to generate income by planting and living in relationship with the trees. Photo Credit: Strides in Development

1 11, 2008

Taking Root The Vision Of Wangari Maathai

2017-11-01T03:24:13-04:00Tags: |

In this video by Taking Root, Wangari Maathai explains her inspiration to found the Green Belt movement in East Africa, in which women began to plant trees to promote their rights to the land, water security and local forests. Even after she faced political persecution and the President of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi made misogynistic comments about Maathai, the Green Belt movement succeeded in defending Kenya's democracy, promoting human rights, and advocating for gender equality. Photo credit: Nyumbani