Excerpts from Megan Mayhew Bergman’s article in The Wall Street Journal on Nov 22, 2015:
…”While the natural world in northern Kenya is astounding, so is the poverty. The BOMA Project specializes in poverty-graduation programs and works with women in remote, arid, semi-nomadic villages. These women constitute last-mile poverty, people living on less than 33 cents a day. To see them is to witness another century. As pastoralists, their husbands are gone months out of the year, and without food aid or community-driven programs like BOMA that help them set up sustainable businesses and savings, these women wouldn’t make it through droughts. To run this type of program means getting into the field on a regular basis, and the Kenyan field is not for the faint of heart.”
…”There is one thing that none of us are immune to, and that’s seeing the realities of extreme poverty in person. Malnourished children, sooty huts, sick goats rooting through mounds of trash, the stench of the latrine – if there is a latrine. Villages like Kargi challenge all of us in the group – the expats, the Kenyan employees, and me. But the gratitude of the women who are proud to earn their own money and work toward savings and self-reliance instead of food aid is inspiring. We listen to their proud stories of sending children to school on their own money, of turning not to their husbands or aid but to their own savings to feed their children before bed.”
We are very impressed with the BOMA programme in poverty alleviating initiative for the benefit of Kenya womenfolks. How we wish to partner with you too. RIWA is rural initiatie for women in asembo. Asembo is in rarienda siaya county in Luo Kenya. Alot of similiarity in this part of western kenya compared to their counterparts in northern region of kenya.
If you find it worth, kindly consider reaching out for this unique group in need of care and protection to dedicate their life to a better living environment. Widows in particular, left with grandchildren to look after, some deprived of their right to own property, illiteracy and poor health. If through awareness creation, provision of healthcare and giving women a chance, please support.
I take the initiative to write to you to request for support to help women help themselves. Not handout but away out to make life bareable atleast.
God Bless