Empowering The Rural Women Of Kenya The JOYWO Way

By Melati Mohd Ariff KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- "Even to buy a box of matches, they have to ask money from their husbands. They have none of their own. They are at the mercy of their husbands. "They also toil in the farms, but at the end of the day, they do not get a share of the harvests." These statements may raise some eyebrows but this is how some Kenyan women live in the remote rural areas of the country. Emily Ngetich, Executive Director of Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO), shared this story in an interview with the writer at the Women Deliver 2013 Conference in Kuala Lumpur recently. JOYWO was one of the participants at an exhibition held in conjunction with the three-day conference. Established in 2009, the organisation has 30,000 members to date. Its main aim is to empower poor Kenyan women economically by introducing them to livelihood projects. "Our target is to reach out to millions of women in Kenya. "We have a long way to go but we are fully determined that we can achieve this," Emily said, adding that the organisation is based in Eldoret, which is 350 km from Nairobi. Kenya, located in East Africa, is made up of 47 counties, and according to Emily, the organisation has so far covered seven counties, namely Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Nairobi, Kakamega, Transzoia, Bungoma and Marakwet. ACTIVITIES Joining the organisation would ultimately allow rural Kenyan women who are basically housewives, with some being illiterate, to be self-reliant and to earn a living. The women are given training in livelihood projects, ranging from modern agriculture and animal husbandry to handicrafts. As for financing, the organisation has developed a scheme to enable those who want to start their own business ventures to get some initial funding. The scheme is called 'table banking' and Elizabeth Lagat, the organisation's secretary, explained, "We start with minimal savings. Someone can start with even 100 shillings (about US$1). They then place their money on the table. "One woman may have sold her chickens and she has 500 shillings. They all put their money and then they can borrow. The loan is paid on a monthly basis with a 10 per cent interest." The women are divided into groups with a leader for each group. The organisation assigns a business development officer to guide the members. Besides the ‘table banking system,’ JOYWO also has links with government institutions where soft loans are provided to women’s groups. GIVEN TRAINING Modern agriculture is one business venture being actively exposed to women besides the normal activity of making handicrafts. According to Emily, the organisation is focused on modern agriculture to improve women's knowledge even though some may have been involved in farming. "We want them to maximise the use of the little land they have around their houses given to them by their husbands. "We train them to plant and grow different crops so that they can get maximum income," she said. Besides growing maize and wheat, the women are also taught to grow vegetables and fruits. They are also trained in animal husbandry, which includes rearing chickens, cows and goats. "All these are for their own use and also for extra income for their living expenses. We also reach out to markets for the sale of the products," explained Emily. GREAT IMPROVEMENTS In terms of earnings, the writer was told that each woman has her own way of completing the project; even though it is a small venture, it helps to reduce her hardship. "Initially, the women did not own anything, not even a little money. Now, they can survive on their own, help their husbands and send their children to school. "They can even afford to go to hospitals when they are sick," she said, adding that Kenyans normally have big families, and on an average, a family would comprise six children. Emily said the programme was very well-received by the Kenyan women so much so that the women themselves would eagerly search for their office premises. According to her, most of the women have successfully shown how the organisation has improved their lives. "I see that they are very determined to succeed. I can say African women are strong-willed and once they have a goal in mind, they make sure that they attain that goal. "The main thing that drives African women is the community to which they belong. "They really want to be enlightened. They have seen the success of other women, and they want to be in their shoes," said Emily, stating that women make up 51 per cent of the 47 million of Kenya's population. POVERTY PREVAILS Emily is from Nandi and lives in a city called Kapsabet. She is the sixth of 10 siblings. She is married to a businessman and has four children—two boys and two girls. After working as a general manager for five years, she quit her job and joined JOYWO. "It really touched my heart to see women languishing in poverty in the rural areas of my country. "When I joined this organisation, I was very happy because I was able to touch the lives of those rural women. "We want to ensure that they are able to sustain their lives—not stuck as housewives but as people who can contribute to the livelihood of their families," she said. Citing an example of women in her own village, Emily described them as people with steely determination, keen to work hard. Most of them are married at the age of 16, and later, they take care of the children and household chores. Even if they work on farms and harvest what they have planted, it is always the men who would hold the money. "The women do not have any say. By right, they should be given something as they toil in the farms. "When I saw this, I felt we really needed to empower these women. We need to show that they are a part of that family. They are working for their families and the husbands should understand that their wives can contribute to the family income," explained Emily. HUSBANDS' SUPPORT According to Emily, husbands of women participating in the organisation's activities are very supportive of such efforts. They even encourage their wives to continue with these activities. "In fact, when we carry out capacity building, the husbands will also attend the training so that they can also learn. They really appreciate the training. "They are aware that they do not have to be the sole breadwinners for their families. They have realised that their wives can contribute too. Over time, love between family members has really grown," she added. Emily has high hopes for JOYWO; she hopes that one day, the organisation will be successful in reducing the poverty level of the women in Kenya and also the African continent. "If possible, the entire world," she said. -- BERNAMA