Kajiado Women and Girls Empowerment Project
Kajiado is a county located in the southern part of Kenya. 47% of the population are living below the poverty line and 31% of the population have no formal education. The county is home to various ethnic communities, including the Maasai people. Females of the nomadic Maasai population here are amongst the most vulnerable in Kenya and high rates of rape, sexual violence, gender-based violence and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) exist. Maasai women encounter barriers to education due to cultural norms, early marriages, economic constraints, distant schools, and a lack of female role models.
In 2019 we started the ‘Kajiado Women and Girls Empowerment project, with the primary objective of providing basic literacy and numeracy skills for the women from communities in Kajiado. Our strategy involves leveraging academic education and establishing a female empowerment club to enhance opportunities for Maasai girls. Our focus is on championing gender equality, fostering community engagement and implementing specific interventions aimed at dismantling barriers and fostering positive educational outcomes.
Project achievements to date:
- 531 women and 125 men enrolled in 6 adult literacy centres in Kajiado county.
- 75 men and women trained by ChallengeAid Africa and Kajiado County Government as Child Rights Advocates, who now actively campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
- 201 women and 42 men passed proficiency exams and certified literate by Kajiado County Government.
- 238 women formed 9 loans and savings groups and saved KSH 699,650 (£4830) for improving the livelihood of families.
- 344 women received health training on hygiene, childcare and disease prevention.
