Over 200 women from Pastoralist communities in Laikipia County have launched the Ushanga Cooperative, which will enable them to bead their way out of poverty, occasioned by perennial livestock theft and drought in the area.
Laikipia County Ushanga Cooperative Coordinator Jennifer Koinante said overrelying on livestock keeping for economic sustainability among the pastoralists’ communities had made them easy targets of banditry attacks, where their cattle were 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 bead products.
Koinante said that with the beads-making business, peace would be restored, since bandits wouldn’t invade them to steal beads, and with drought shocks, they would be cushioned with income generated through the 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 and 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 the 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 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 to 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 linking 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 to access government opportunities, including the women enterprise fund, Uwezo, and Hustler Fund, which are geared towards women’s empowerment.
She pointed out that beadwork was like any other business that needed support.
By Muturi Mwangi
