An innovative project is helping bring down criminality along the Laikipia-Baringo common border.
As the country joined the rest of the world in marking International Women’s Day, Olusioni and Lotoyolon Women Self Help Groups, drawn from the Pokot community in Tepelekwi village at the border of Laikipia and Baringo counties, were celebrating the success of their mission to restore peace in an area which has suffered from the adverse effects of banditry.
The women have embarked on bee keeping with the help of Mukutan Conservancy, formerly Laikipia Nature Conservancy, which donated over 1000 beehives alongside offering bee keeping trainings.
The initiative has empowered women to produce and sell honey to already available market which in turn reduces the dependency in pastoralism thus generating income for themselves and their families.
Additionally, the women have the opportunity to expand their skills and potentially employ others in their businesses, thereby contributing to an alternative way of economic growth in their community.
Speaking during celebrations to mark International Women’s Day, held at the beehives plant around the conservancy, Sveva Gallmann, the director of the conservancy said her organization initiated the project following a series of discussion with communities living around the conservancy on ways of giving voice to women in a male dominated society.
According to Sveva, the challenge of deforestation resulting from illegal logging, has been reduced with community members now taking care of forests so as to get high yields and enhance profits with the conservancy offering a ready market.
