Umoja: The Land of No Men

by Staff writer



Do you lot know in that place is a hamlet inwards Republic of Kenya comprised of alone women?


Umoja Village was founded 27 years agone equally a rubber haven for women in addition to girls who wanted to escape abuse in addition to the harmful effects of patriarchy.

In conventional Kenyan patriarchal settlements, women are treated equally property.

Started yesteryear Rebecca Lolosoli, the Umoja Usau Women’s Village is a identify where widows, orphans, victims of rape, genital cutting, in addition to forced marriages tin post away alive together inwards peace.

‘Umoja’ agency unity inwards Swahili language, in addition to the women who alive in that place brand jewelry in addition to other crafts to render for their children, in addition to rely on tourism equally well.

Men are forbidden to alive inwards the village, simply tin post away catch equally long equally they abide yesteryear the women’s rules.

Despite saving upwards for the province in addition to buying it, the women nonetheless human face upwards struggles of persecution from men.

Men bring beaten them inwards forepart of tourists, blocked the route that leads to Umoja, in addition to tried to forestall them from buying land.

Despite all the obstacles, Umoja has thrived in addition to has cash inwards one's chips a corking representative of a successful matriarchy.

The hamlet looks similar a normal hamlet inwards Samburu: huts are built from a mixture of globe in addition to moo-cow dung, in addition to the houses are surrounded yesteryear a debate of thorns.


In 2006, the reported population of Umoja consisted of l women in addition to 220 children.

Residents of Umoja engage inwards traditional Samburu crafts - such equally colorful beads in addition to home-brewed low-alcohol beer analogue - which they sell yesteryear the route leading to the Samburu Reserve in addition to on its website.

This allows them to earn plenty coin to live.

In traditional society, children are engaged inwards Samburu grazing amongst 6 or vii years, simply inwards the hamlet of Umoja all children cash inwards one's chips to school.

Residents themselves bring the chance to attend a schoolhouse where they larn to read in addition to write.



Arithmetic, typing, in addition to other basic skills are equally good taught inwards the school.

Umoja operates a curt develop of rules. Women bring to article of apparel traditional apparel in addition to beads. Smoking in addition to genital mutilation are discouraged. Women may hire men for grazing, fencing hamlet briars, in addition to other forms of manual labor.

Umoja women equally good handle educate women of nearby villages nigh women's rights, sex equality in addition to violence prevention.

The women of Umoja bring repeatedly been threatened amongst violence in addition to periodic attack.

Men 1 time tried to constitute a competition hamlet a kilometer from Umoja.

Men from the neighboring hamlet bring equally good threatened Rebecca Lolosoli, who founded Umoja.


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Photograph credit: Georgina Goodwin for the Observer
Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/
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