Fueling a Ripple Effect: Empowering Kenyan Women

Empowerment Training Report for

(Oriembo Dhier Women B Group)

Dates of Training:  18^h to 21st Feb, 2019

Location and Group Name: Oriembo Dhier B women Group

Lead Facilitator: Millicent Adhiambo Joash

Support Person: Marion Awuor Olang’

Number of attendees: 19

Total Expenses: 821 USD

1.0  INTRODUCTION

This is a report of the training that we conducted at Migori for disenfranchised women on the 18^th February, 2016 to 21^st February, 2019 for a period of four days. The training attracted 17 women and two men in total. It was not easy to get all the participants together as planned, conserving the varied personal schedules of the prospective participants. We ended up having the 19 of the 27 invited participants attending successfully to the end of the fourth day.

2.0 TARGET GROUP

This training focused on the disenfranchised women drawn from across Marindi village of Suna West constituency. Two men, being part of the women group, attended the training as well.

3.0 TRAINING OBJECTIVES

These were two-fold:

1. To examine the peculiar reasons for the women’s disenfranchisement;
2. To take the said women through the empowerment training model with the aim of helping the overcome their growing edges.

4.0 THE PROCESS

This entailed taking the participants over the seven life areas as prescribed by the empowerment methodology. The entire model was packaged as follows:

Day 1: Personal Growth Foundation

Day 2: Personal power, Emotions and Relationships

Day 3: Sexuality and the Body

Day 4: Money, work and Spirituality

5.0 CHALLENGES

These are women who come from the same community and thus it was not easy to bring these women to start sharing their experiences openly.

This training was done during rainy season and this means we had to stop training by 3.30 pm in order for people to try to get home before the rains.

At times it rained earlier even before we could finish training.

6.0 ACHIEVEMENTS

1. When the wellbeing survey form was administered, each of them had a chance to look at their lives and evaluate it on the scale that was provided. Most of the participants were doing this for the first time in their lives. They had never taken a break anytime to really look at where and how they were doing in their general lives. This activity served to awaken them to the reality of their lives and they were very happy to learn this in good time. They approached the workshop with enthusiasm wanting to learn how they can correct areas that needed correction and see themselves moving up the ladder.
2. We managed to bring these women to appoint of sharing openly and we had very good interactive sessions with them. Each of them developed vision in different areas of life. We expect to see great growth in these participants. As they work in the areas they committed to work on we expect to see a happier, healthier and energized group of women.
3. Apart from table banking activity, we also trained the women on how to make liquid soap. Some of them decided that they are taking up the liquid soap making as a business where they make it for sale.

7.0 CONCLUSION

The training was successful because it met the objectives that had been set. We thank 100MHL for making this possible.

8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The participants need to be followed up in order to assess their respective growths over time. The assessment tools include wellbeing survey forms, among others.
2. Peer support and consultation is highly encouraged in order to sustain the application of the knowledge imparted and the skills given. The table banking activity introduced in the group could provide the motivation for the support group to keep meeting as we aspire to achieve optimum personal growth.

• training expenditure (DOCX)