Category Archives: Kenya

Tears of Women, a Community-Based Organization (CBO)
The Village Net partnered with Tears of Women (TOW) to launch its microloan program in Mwaani. A community-based organization is composed of representatives from many women’s groups, which are generally formed around a type of work (weaving, tree-planting, poultry, etc.) TOW has representatives from 11 of these women’s groups. The smaller groups have been practicing merry-go-rounds, which are a simplified type of microloan. Women save a designated amount every week, and the group awards the collected money as a loan to one of the members. These loans have been given at very little interest for periods of up to one year.

Tears of Women is highly organized, with representatives elected every 3 years. With its approximately 300 members, TOW offers a good training audience. They currently provide basic business training, and have offered classes related to HIV/AIDs education. TOW operates a small shop in Makueni where client products (baskets and handbags) are offered for sale. Some poverty alleviation training is offered through the Mwaani Catholic Church.

We found the Mwaani residents to be hardworking and optimistic. But the climate fails them, and the hope for rain is constant. Women run small businesses, and the men look for day jobs (digging, harvesting, making bricks). Of course, the infrastructure needs around water, power and sanitation are great. We are working with Tears of Women to prioritize these needs and start developing solutions.

Emayian Women, a Community-Based Organization (CBO)
Emayian Women was registered at the Narok district level in 2007. Members are Maasai pastoralist women located in Narok North, Enoosupukia and Suswa. This district has a population of 365,750.

Emayian Women currently has 100 members. An additional 900 women live in 3 villages near the Suswa sub-location. LIteracy among the women is very low. All resources are owned by men, so women have been denied involvement in development initiatives. Our borrowers say that “women..are culturally considered as children.” The CBO was formed to empower women and enable them to expand their businesses. As women have sole responsibility for household budgets, this initiative is considered critical.
The CBO currently operates a curio shop, from which members sell their beaded products, textiles and baskets. As the recent drop in tourism has shown, this is a tenuous venture with no real possibilities for sustainability. The women are interested in raising their own cattle and other animals (as men currently own the livestock and resulting profits).

The Republic of Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Most recently in the news for the violent response to the December 2007 election, Kenya is finding its way through calls for political change. Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner and sworn in on December 30, despite opposition leaderRaila Odinga’s supporters challenging the election results. Riots in the Rift Valley and Nairobi left some 1,500 dead, thousands displaced, commerce interrupted, and a sharp decline in the most important of Kenya’s industries, tourism. On March 2, 2008, the parties reached agreement for a coalition government that will be enforced by the Parliament. We anxiously await the results of implementation of this agreement.

Kenya’s population is currently 35 million. The population is very diverse, and includes most of the major ethnic and linguistic groups of Africa. Kenya has also served as host to refugees from Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. The official languages are English and Swahili. 45% of the population are Protestant, 33% Catholic and 10% Muslim. Literacy is high, with some 80% of the population over 15 estimated to have the ability to read and write. Life expectancy is about 49 years. The mortality rate for infants is 79 per 1,000 live births. Female genital mutilation is widely practiced. Per capita income is approximately $680 per year (2006). Learn more about Kenya http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DemographicsofKenya andhttp:devdata.worldbank.org/external/CPProfile.asp?PTYPE=CP&CCODE=KEN

The Village Net has identified two villages, on the east and west sides of Nairobi, as the starting point for its Kenyan HUB. These villages are located in the Eastern and Rift Valley Provinces.

Eastern Province
The region is semi-arid and is the second largest of Kenya’s 7 provinces. Inhabitants are mostly Kamba, with some pastoral communities. Our village of Mwaani is located in the Machakos district. For more information about the province, and district

http://www.answers.com/topic/eastern-province-kenya?cat=travel

http://www.answers.com/topic/machakos-district?cat=travel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamba

Machakos Town (on map), Makueni Village (Wote), Mwaani
Machakos, while located only 35 miles from Nairobi, is a two-hour drive due to the horrible condition of the roads. This is a town of some 35,000 people, and is the closest commerce center to Mwaani, Our banks and internet capability are located in Machakos.

The next village, Makueni (or Wote) is the capital of Makueni district, and home to about 56,000 people. Many shops are located here, as is a local market where residents buy produce, textiles, used clothing, furniture and other home needs. Wote received electricity about 3 years ago.

Mwaani is a collection of far-flung homes ranging from huts with straw roofs to brick homes. Most of the homes do not have electricity, and none have plumbing. The most prevalent tribe here is Kamba, which is a Bantu ethnic group. The villagers are traders, farmers, herders (of their own cattle) and basket-makers. To learn more about the Kambahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamba

The Rift Valley Province
The second village targeted by The Village Net is Suswa, located in the Rift Valley Province. This province is the largest of Kenya’s seven provinces, and is inhabited by 7 million members of intertwined tribes. The most famous of these, due to their colorful clothing and strong identity, is the Maasai. The Rift Valley is a center of farming and agriculture (especially tea), and livestock rearing. For more information on the Rift Valley, click herehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rift_Valley_Province,_Kenya

The Narok District and Suswa
The Village Net is working with the Emayian Women’s Group in Suswa, located in the Narok district. These women are Maasai, and they run a number of small businesses such as basket-making, beading, textiles, and raising of small animals. The men are typically involved in construction, or may serve as livestock herders (the traditional view of a Maasai man is herding cattle). This area has the highest rate of female genital mutilation in Kenya, despite the fact that the practice was outlawed in 2001. The town of Narok, home to about 40,000 people, is the location of banks, internet and places for staff to stay.