Invest in 10 women entrepreneurs in Northern Kenya

This report is being sent to 58 friends who have donated $7,631 to our peacebuilding efforts between tribes in Northwest Kenya since 2022. We thank you!

This project engages women across the neighboring communities in inter-community peace and social economic interactions. It was launched in the summer of 2022 when your donations helped us to develop a network of ten women entrepreneurs from the Samburu and Pokot tribes (WEN) (photo). The initiative has since advanced into a new region and brought together women from the Pokot and Ilchamus tribes. This is reaching not only women, but warriors, elders and community leaders as well.

Through this work over the last six months, CPI Kenya has increased the number and quality of women’s participation in inter-community peace process in the target communities. More women have accompanied children during peace activities across the two communities and taken part in peacebuilding forums with men.

This represents a big change in the two target communities. The project’s strategy is to transform the relationship between two opposing tribes by building friendship between families. This provides a unique approach through which Pokot-Ilchamus women can contribute to inter-community peace among their pastoralist communities.

The project continues to attract increased collaboration from the members of the communities and their leaders. Beneficiaries exhibited a strong desire and readiness to attend all activities which have included workshops on social and economic solutions, community capacity development, village development advocacy, basic rights and peacebuilding.

Our photos show two workshops between the Pokot and Ilchamus, in the villages of Kiserian and Chepkalacha.

We would note other promising developments. The road that links the two communities is still accessible, two years after CPI Kenya organized a Peace Walk to re-open it. Both communities use the road, although Pokot probably make more use of it. Our Peace Walk also led to the opening of other roads in the area that were previously abandoned due to insecurity. One road links the counties of Baringo and Laikipia.

Finally, we express our gratitude to our partners at the World Peace Service (WFD), who have supported our efforts to extend the original WEN model to these new tribes this past year.

On behalf of all the many women who are benefitting we say thank you so much!

Monica and the CPI team in Kenya

This report is being sent to fifty-two friends who have donated $7,481 to our appeal on GlobalGving, with our thanks and gratitude.

Our project builds peace in Northwest Kenya by encouraging collaboration between tribes. As we noted in our last report, ten women from the Samburu and Pokot communities formed business enterprises groups with help from funds raised through our GlobalGiving appeal. The two groups were comprised of women who already have their own businesses and have been using their business as connectors for peace across the two communities.

These business enterprises have increased inter-dependence across the two neighboring communities which has gone beyond the ten women to other members of the community. The two groups have been interacting during the market days, cultural events and extending invitation for religious events.

Unfortunately, as we wrote in our last update, some parts of Baringo and Samburu counties suffered from conflict earlier this year, causing displacement and triggering government-imposed security measures that included a dawn-to-dusk curfew. This made it difficult to work in the area, so we shifted our attention to communities in Baringo County that were not directly affected by the government directives but where the need is also great.

In particular, we targeted a conflict corridor that divides the Ilchamus and Pokot communities in Baringo County. Helped by our new donor, the World Peace Service (WFD) we have been working intensively in this area with children, women, warriors and elders in a series of peace activities.

For example, we have been creating spaces for women from the Ilchamus and Pokot to discuss business opportunities across the two tribes. As a result, a market in Mukutani Village that lies between the two warring communities and was closed some years back due to conflict has reopened. The market is now acting as a point of connection between the two communities. It is also accessible to other villages. This broadens the benefits and helps to the social-economic livelihood of the Ilchamus and Pokot.

Additionally, we also organized a 38-kilometer walk for villagers from the two communities that allowed them to advocate for the re-opening of a road that connects the two villages. This road had been blocked by conflict for almost 10 years. As a result of the walk, it was re-opened.

Apart from engaging women in business, we have also organized workshops for elders and warriors in human rights, advocacy, and governance. This makes it easier for them to take part in decision-making in their communities.

We are now looking forward to organizing fora camps for Pokot and Ilchamus warriors to strengthen their relationship and develop trust. Additionally, the two villages (Kiserian and Chepkalacha) are very underdeveloped despite having great potential for business. As a result, CPI Kenya is also exploring possible prospects for women-led business ventures that can build growth and inter-dependency between the two neighboring communities, as we have done with the Pokot and Samburu.

On behalf of the communities that have benefitted and continue to benefit we say thank you so much!

Monica and the CPI Kenya team