CEEC recognizes that economic disempowerment of women is a major exacerbating factor in women’s rights violations and this is very true of Burnt Forest as well as other parts of Kenya and indeed the world over. This predicament is worsened by feminization of poverty which refers to a situation where women represent a disproportionate share of the world’s poor. Unfortunately, gender based violence does not only affect women, but also men and children. It is for this reason that CEEC with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nairobi launched a women’s income generating project entitledAlleviating poverty in Burnt Forest through women’s economic empowerment in October 2015. This project aims at uplifting the status of women not only economically but also socially and politically. In the process, the project will contribute to poverty reduction therefore improving the living standards of the entire community. The project will also hopefully contribute to a reduction of gender based violence incidents leading to peace in families and the community.
The project was launched with a four days’ training of 26 women on how to run an income generating activity held at PCEA Kamuyu from 27th -30th October 2015. In addition to the training, the women were given 5 sewing machines, 2 over lock machines, accessories as well as other materials that are necessary for a tailoring course. The course will be complemented with beadwork so that the women get a variety of skills.
The project has brought together women from eight farms within Burnt Forest namely Lingway, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Rironi/Kaplalach, Ndungulu, Chuiyat, Barekeiywo and Kagongo. They represent the two main communities living in this area, Kalenjin’s and Kikuyu’s whose relationship is characterized by mutual suspicion, mistrust and sometimes outright hostilities. The project therefore aims at contributing to improved inter – ethnic relations and harmonious co-existence.
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