Baringo Women Ushanga Training Initiative a game changer

Kabarnet Tuesday June 27, 23

KNA by Caroline Cherono 

Over 80 women groups across the county have benefitted from a five-day Ushanga Initiative capacity building training on beadwork to enable them earn a living hence boost economic development.

Baringo Deputy Governor Felix Maiyo who was speaking during the close of the training at Pemwai grounds, Baringo Central sub-county said the initiative was a game changer for the women of Baringo as it has brought together over 200 women from different parts of the county thus fostering peaceful coexistence.

“I want to laud the president for starting this initiative under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage as women from pastoralist communities stand to benefit from the training. I want to urge our women from Tugen, Ilchamus, Turkana and Pokot communities to champion peace through the Ushanga program,” Eng Maiyo said.

Eng Maiyo said the county government was committed to support these women through setting aside funds to sustain them and admonished the women groups to set a limit for the cost of each item to avoid exploitation hence get value for their products as in the past they have fallen prey to middle men.

He further urged the women to join cooperative societies so as to make savings adding that the end products would fetch good prices as tourists normally visit the county and also exporting them abroad will boost income for the women to enable them to fend for their families.

Chairlady of Tiaty East women group, Mary Nkaitau a beneficiary of the training said the training would assist them get alternative sources of income as women and children were mostly affected with insecurity and drought which left them in a desperate situation.

"We have been trained on making quality beadwork like bracelets, necklaces, bangles and wall hangings hence the skills gained will enable us to have alternative sources of income apart from livestock and bee keeping,” Nkaitau said.

Cynthia Cheboit, the chairlady of Salawa women group in Baringo Central sub-country thanked the organizers for the training noting that it would go a long way in securing a better future for their children as they would be able to educate them from the income.

Ushanga Initiative Kenya CEO Dorothy Mashipei said the Ushanga programme was one of the priority programs of the Kenya Kwanza government to advance the bottom-up agenda as these women from pastoralist communities are talented.

“This is a business like any other and I want to encourage all that have undergone the training to utilize the skills to earn a decent living. Through this you can access government funds like the women fund and youth funds to boost business,” Mashipei said.

She added that they aim to train more women from pastoralist communities across the country on how to make quality beadwork and promised to source for markets abroad to boost income.

Ushanga Initiative which was established in 2017 was aimed at creating job opportunities and transforming living standards for the pastoralist women through commercialization of beadwork which has otherwise been a traditional activity with little economic benefit to the communities.

Through strengthening business and production capacity for women, the Ushanga prototype is tailored at mobilising women into organised cooperative groups, providing infrastructure for production, and facilitating competitive access to local, regional and international markets through new designs, beading techniques, product finishing, and marketing as a whole.

Courtesy ; K. N. A