Maasai gender and community resilience project

FPFK

Introduction

Maasai Gender and community Resilience project

The project’s long-term goal is for Women to actively play socio-economic decision-making roles at the households, community, and county government levels in Narok County.

Our focus is to address women leadership representation right from the community households to the national level and also address the retrogressive cultural practices that have had a negative effect on women’s decision making ability such as FGM ,and early / force marriages.

The project’s expected outcomes are:

Targeted community groups are collectively championing for the inclusion of women in leadership.

State actors are responsive to gender inclusion in governance at the county level.

Targeted women have become economically stable to participate in leadership.

The project works within 4 target areas of Narok County: Ewuaso Ngiro(Narok North),Oltiani ,Oloserian & Kisharu of Narok East.

Members of Esipil women group in Ewuaso Ngiro during the beehives and beekeeping equipment handing over by the project staff, regional Bishop and livestock officers.

FPFK Social Ministries

Innovative and responsive development programs aimed at alleviating poverty and all other forms of human suffering in Kenya.

Project

Key Results & Success Stories

Through trainings and community advocacy forums the project has been able to reach more vulnerable groups(illiterate, women,youth ) where attitude and behaviour change is notable(Spillover effect From the previous phase(Gender & Environment project).Social change is gradual and procedural and this has been experienced where more women are attending trainings, they have been permitted by their husbands to do group meetings, registering groups and they are engaged in income generating activities like selling milk ,farm produce, beadwork which used not to be the case before the project’s intervention. Community groups are aware of their rights and championing for women decision making roles at the household & community levels. Women, men and youth have established organized registered self-help groups for their own investment plans and obtaining funds and loans from government and other private financial institutions. These groups through advocacy trainings and sensitization forums by the project, are now aware that they can engage and hold their leaders accountable. They have conducted forums with area MCAs, M.Ps and women representatives on supporting the community with development funds for the groups, service provision; improved infrastructure (schools, access of water and roads) and access to markets.
In Oltiani and Kisharu communities, the members have advocated for gravelling of roads by the government for ease of transport to the market centres. In Ewuaso Ngiro community members have advocated for a construction of a local hospital with upgraded maternity facilities which is under construction. In Oloserian community members advocated for water connection by the area MP, piping has been done to the nearest water collection points
During men conversations in Oltiani community, we learnt that men have increased attendance to community forums when called upon. One man narrated; “We used not to attend meetings when called upon but since the project’s intervention we increased from 2 participants attending a meeting to 30 participants per meeting. There is also improved decision making and family planning at the household/family level. We now allow our wives to attend forums, we delegate domestic duties to someone else for (husband and wife)to attend such ” This has been attributed by intensified campaigns on their involvement in community dialogues that advocate for women inclusion in decision making, leadership and access & control of resources.
In the month of October 2021,1 Women group in Oltiani held a meeting with CEC finance Narok county on poor roads in the area that has been a hindrance to milk transportation from Oloonkipejosi village to Eor Ekule town, in response to their woes, the county government of Narok and the Kenya rural roads Authority(KERRA) have gravelled the road and filled potholes.T

Being in an area where education is not prioritized some of the women from Ewuaso Ngiro Esipil Women group have supported 3 children to go to school who were subjected to child labour. The women also reported that they advocated for 1 woman who was injured to receive treatment since women health is not prioritized by few uneducated men in the community. This women group have also invested in bee keeping and managed to buy 3 beehive .The project have supported the women group with 25 modern beehives and beekeeping equipment as part of livelihood support program.
A group of 15 women in Oloserian Community narrated that”through the project training on entrepreneurship we have learnt the importance of selling milk in the market to increase our income which used not to be the case in the past years where milk was rarely sold in the market. The income from selling farm produce and beadwork, we use it to educate our children/pay school fees, and build improved houses and toilets, helping the vulnerable/disadvantaged. Through group meetings and joint activities we are more united.
Through sensitization forums women & girls are now aware of their rights, FGM has significantly reduced in Oloserian area. We also have women leaders within the community (development committee representatives, church leaders, school committee representatives), soon we will be supporting contestants/aspirants for elective political positions.’’ Through advocacy 1 women group in Oloserian community and local area leaders have established a preschool due to distant primary schools and are in lobbying with administration and TSC (Teachers service commission) for employment of teachers. These women have employed 1 teacher and use their monthly group contribution to pay for salary (which is a meagre amount compared to being employed by the government .

The project Leader with cultural elders and age-set leaders forum in Narok town

PMU’s visit at Ewuaso Ngiro community during Men and women conversations on women in leadership.

The Chair lady of oloserian women group In Oloserian community during women advocacy forum.

Our Contacts

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Working hours

Monday- Friday:8:00 AM-17:00 PM
(Phone until 17:00 PM)

Contact Info

FPFK Headquarters; Kindaruma Road, Off Menelik Rd,P.O. Box 47469 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Phone:+254-20-3870126
Fax:+(020) 3874596
Email: hoffice@fpfk.or.ke or info@fpfk.or.ke

FPFK