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The women empowerment program aims to contribute to the economic sustainability of households and end poverty in the Maasai Mara. Below are some of the activities being undertaken through the Women’s Empowerment program.
a) Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) Loan
Between March and August, 190 women were taught how to successfully apply for the women's enterprise fund loans. Two women groups have received the women enterprise fund loan Where Mbitin women group received KSH200,000 and Olkuroto women group received KSH 100,000. The two women groups are paying the loan exemplarily using money from their milk and vegetable business. The groups used the money to promote their ongoing livestock farming businesses. 6 women groups are still applying for the loan. All the groups will receive a total of KSH 1,100,000 by the end of the year.
b) Group registrations
5 women groups and 1 youth group were formed and registered during the period. The groups’ objectives include:
Pulling in money to a joint bank account at KCB
Have a future table banking scheme that would ensure the self-sustainability of the group’s economic structure.
Have a group certificate from the Ministry of Social Services.
Have a joint enterprise within group members that will enable the group to generate an income for its self-sustainability.
c) Bank accounts activities
In April two women groups deposited their WEF cheques. Two other 2 women groups reactivated their dormant bank accounts in July. 6 women and youth groups opened bank accounts after receiving registration certificates from the ministry of social services.
d) Kitchen Garden Initiative
The general objective of the program is to contribute to ending malnutrition within the Mara. 19 Kitchen garden training were conducted between March 2021 and August 2021. The targeted groups were the Women microfinance groups within Maa Trust projects. A total of 380 women were reached and trained on developing and managing kitchen gardens. Out of the 380, a total of 114 women have developed kitchen gardens in their homesteads, and some generating an income of up to 700 shillings a day through selling the vegetable produce from the kitchen garden.
e) Conservation & Economic Agriculture
The conservation & economic agriculture training focuses on ensuring both economic sustainability and conservation within the Mara. The program kicked off in August and focuses on training women and youth on smart ways to ensure that farming does not affect conservation. This is done by using grow bags instead of ploughing fields. So far, the project has reached 5 women groups and targets 3 more women and youth groups.