Our Kenyan partner Children Peace Initiative Kenya (CPIK) is seeking $15,000 to help 10 women entrepreneurs from the Pokot and Samburu tribes launch small businesses and trade with each other. This innovative approach will produce incomes for these women, strengthen ties between their communities and show how women can build peace in fragile environments. Josephine (photo), a Samburu businesswoman who trades maize across tribal lines, inspired the startups and will head the Samburu network.
The pastoralists of Northern Kenya are reeling from years of cattle raiding, drought and now climate change. This deadly combination is destroying natural resources - particularly water and pasture land - that sustain their herds and livelihoods. This, in turn, exacerbates the conflict and drought that kill their cows. Women are especially affected. They see their children threatened by violence, their kitchen gardens drying up and their talents going unused.
CPIK's model of peace-building brings children together from both sides of a tribal conflict and builds on the goodwill to nurture collaboration between the two communities. This start-up will take our process to the next level by giving talented women from Pokot and Samburu tribes a chance to exercise their skills as managers. CPIK has identified 10 women with a flair for business. Your donations will enable them to launch small businesses and trade with each other.
CPIK hopes that the businesses can be self-sustaining by the end of 2023. Other start-ups are also in preparation, including one bringing pastoralists from different tribes together to share pasture-land and water during drought. CPIK hopes that each successful project will offer practical solutions based on friendships and common interest to the threat caused from climate change and conflict.
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