About 800 women in Loitoktok Sub County will be engaged in the work for food programme courtesy of Big Life Foundation.
The programme which is targeting women from Inselengei Mbirikani, Kuku and Rombo wards will run for five months.
During the rolling out of the programme at Mbirikani Chairman, Big Life Foundation, Richard Bonham said each women will be paid Sh 300 daily.
Bonham noted that Mbirikani ward has received the lion’s share with 400 women enlisted in the programme followed by Inselengei with 200 while Kuku and Rombo wards with 100 women each.
He noted they have placed the women into two groups on two weeks rotational basis where a group of 400 will be working for two weeks then the other works for the remaining two weeks in a month.
The Chairman said the programme which will start this week on Wednesday will run until short rains commence in November.
He further noted that the funding of the programme is being done by Big Life Foundation Headquarters in United State of America.
Beneficiaries of the programme lauded the Foundation for the initiative pointing out that it will cushion them against the adverse effects of prevailing dry spell in the region.
Silvia Lenkusero particularly pointed out that the women have been suffering as it was getting hard to put food on the table with the rising cost of living. She applauded the programme for coming to their aid.
On the other hand Joice Ngida from Mbirikani ward observed that their men are away from home herding livestock in Chyulu Hills and they have been left to care for children.
She noted the situation is harsh to a point where their children are missing school because of lack of food.
Ngida appreciated that the work for food programme will not only cushion them from hunger but also help to retain their children in school.
Big Life Foundation protects over 1.6 million acres of wilderness in the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa.
Big Life Foundation partners with local communities to protect nature.
By Kimani Tirus and Kaaka Koromo
