Women to fight poverty through Ushanga cooperative

Nanyuki, Sunday June 18, 2023

by Muturi Mwangi

Over 200 women from Pastoralist communities in Laikipia County have launched Ushanga Cooperative that will enable them bead their way out of poverty, occasioned by perennial livestock theft and drought in the area.

Laikipia county Ushanga Cooperative Coordinator Jennifer Koinante said over relying on livestock keeping for economic sustainability among the pastoralists’ communities had made them become easy targets of banditry attacks, where their cattle are stolen.

“We are very grateful as women for this project being brought here, earlier on we had been left out, despite being involved in bead work for a long time,” she said, adding that the women lacked a market for their beads products.

Koinante said that with the beads making business, peace would be restored, since bandits won’t invade them to steal beads and with drought shocks, they would be cushioned with income generated through Ushanga trade.

Laikipia Twala Tanebo Women’s group chairlady Rosemary Nenini said that the beautifully beaded products would help them fight Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) since they would be economically empowered and at the same time educate their children effortlessly.

‘’Women will be economically empowered; traditionally beads are attributed to them. Further, they will be able to educate their children and fight sexual gender based violence,” revealed Nenini.

She revealed that, with the formation of the cooperative, the women would be trained on how to make quality products and offer exposure opportunities to the indigenous women in Laikipia through networking with women from other counties.

Nenini called on the county government to help them get a bead store to aid in accessibility of their beadwork products.

Loise Kimiri said the Ushanga Cooperative will be a major boost to them as women and insecurity problems will be addressed.

She added that women and children were the most affected due to drought and the situation got exacerbated by insecurity which had left them in fear, however with beadwork, the situation would change by venturing into alternative ways of supporting their families as opposed to livestock keeping.

She further thanked the government for its commitment in supporting women-led initiatives.

Ushanga Initiative Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dorothy Mashipei said that they target to train women on how to produce quality beadwork products and link them to market opportunities locally and abroad.

“President Dr. William Ruto directed us to incorporate Laikipia in the Ushanga Initiative. We will train the women on quality products and link them to the market which is very important to us,” said Ms Mashipei.

With the formation of the Ushanga cooperative, the women have positioned themselves on accessing government opportunities including women enterprise fund, Uwezo and Hustler Fund, which are geared towards women empowerment.

She pointed out that beadwork was like any other business that needed support.

Courtesy ; K. N. A