On behalf of everyone at Samburu Women Trust, I’d like to send our best wishes for a peaceful and productive new year to all of our supporters everywhere. Looking back over the last year, during which SWT celebrated its tenth anniversary, it’s clear that 2022 has been another busy and successful year. Our achievements this…
The inclusion of Indigenous peoples in global policy processes such as the Paris Agreement demonstrates a rising recognition of their knowledge, rights, and critical responsibilities in environmental conservation. Indigenous people desire acknowledgement for their contributions to the long-term management of their lands – recognition for the fact that they have been and continue to be…
The Samburu Women Trust (SWT) joins the global community in celebrating Human Rights Day on December 10, the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly declared December 10 as International Day of Peace. It stated unequivocally that human rights are universal and not optional. Human…
“I kept walking and walking, not knowing where I was going,” recalls Napaishai.* “All I knew is that I needed to get away from my husband, who continuously harassed me throughout our three-year marriage.” Napaishai was married at age 12 to her 40-year-old husband. Kenya’s drought aggravated an already tense situation for Napaishai. All the…
FGM has affected at least 200 million girls and women living in 31 countries today. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is defined as “any non-medical treatments involving partial or entire removal of the female external genitalia or other harm to the female genital organs.” FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.…
The progress and prosperity of any nation is dependent on its citizens having equal rights, opportunities, and ability to define their own future. Ensure that girls attain their full potential is not just an ethical obligation, but also a strategic imperative. The status of women and girls, as well as economic wealth, are intimately intertwined.…
With kind support from Oxfam, SWT held public Barazas in Samburu East Subcounty to bring indigenous women along with the youth, men and elders into the conversation on how to end violence that affect them greatly. “Jane Meriwas calls on us to create a better, fairer world, where our environment is protected instead of polluted,…
Samburu Women Trust is proud to have been be part of the CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation two-day meeting held in Johannesburg from 29-30 September 2022 for Indigenous Peoples (IPs), civic actors, human rights defenders, and civil society representatives.This global convening had participants at this meeting from Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe and…
At Umoja Women’s Village in Samburu county, visitors are greeted with the phrase “Welcome to Samburu, where women rule!” The matriarch of the community, Rebecca Lolosoli, extends a warm welcome to the visitors as the other women in the community applaud her. If only her bold assertion were accurate. There are currently 36 women living…
These are marginalized areas with numerous challenges for the local community. Infrastructure is underdeveloped, and social amenities are scarce and dispersed. Industries do not exist, and modern science plays little role in their daily lives. The Samburu people have learned survival strategies through the ages as a result of their harmonious coexistence with nature and…