Unite for Unity
Donation protected
Hi, our names are Meredith and Will. We are graduate students in a conservation leadership program at Colorado State University. We have been living in Kenya for the past three months and working in the rural Samburu region in a small village called Unity Women’s Village.
The women of Unity are determined to create more opportunities for themselves and their children, and we are determined to help them build their own capacity to do so. We can’t do this alone though, which is why we want to share a little of the Unity story in the hopes that you will want to support the development of a community whose optimism and vision has allowed them to already overcome so much.
Unity women are traditional Samburu women who have chosen to lead untraditional lives in an effort to free themselves from oppression, abuse and inequalities that remain present in this region today. Unity’s purpose was and is to create a safe haven from these challenges where women can find independence while working communally to meet their basic needs and save for their children’s school fees. The women currently participate in a small beading business and host tourists in their village. Although they have taken advantage of these opportunities, they continue to face many challenges in their daily lives and often struggle to generate enough money to go beyond their basic needs.
We have worked with the women to better understand these challenges and how they hope to overcome them in the future. The women have hopes for themselves in the future, but the fundamental vision of Unity is to provide their children with more educational opportunities than previous generations. In Samburu, 64% of the population has a primary education, but only 7% has a secondary education level. Primary school in Kenya is free, but secondary school (high school) is very costly and often exceeds the women’s annual average income. To achieve this community vision, Unity’s goal is to increase the means to provide for themselves, their children, and the future generations of Unity Women’s Village to become a model of resilience and hope.
With your generosity along with the strength and resilience of this community, we can make a difference in their lives by sponsoring one or more of their community goals. Below are the top 3 community goals of Unity. Each of these goals have come directly from discussions with the women of Unity and are feasible with your support.
Security fence: A perimeter fence around the village will increase security for the women and children, and also keep their livestock within in a confined area so they are less likely to lose livestock.
A new tourist hut: Unity women love to host tourists in their village and feel that a new tourist hut would increase their ability to welcome larger groups or multiple groups at one time.
A secure bead market: The women of Unity, and Samburu people, are known for their intricate beadwork. Currently, the women store their beads independently and bring them out for tourists under an unfinished structure. Building a secure market within the village would ensure that their beads are safe and accessible at any time, plus it would be easier for shoppers to shop!
We're hosting a community celebration for Unity on September 20th, and we hope to share the proceeds from this campaign at that time. Thank you for any amount of support you can offer!
Check out their website if you are interested in staying or just want to learn more!
https://unitywomensvillage.wordpress.com
If you’d like to further support these women and a local non-profit providing educational opportunities to children in Samburu, you can buy their handmade beaded jewelry online: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SupportSamburu?ref=seller-platform-mcnav.
The women of Unity are determined to create more opportunities for themselves and their children, and we are determined to help them build their own capacity to do so. We can’t do this alone though, which is why we want to share a little of the Unity story in the hopes that you will want to support the development of a community whose optimism and vision has allowed them to already overcome so much.
Unity women are traditional Samburu women who have chosen to lead untraditional lives in an effort to free themselves from oppression, abuse and inequalities that remain present in this region today. Unity’s purpose was and is to create a safe haven from these challenges where women can find independence while working communally to meet their basic needs and save for their children’s school fees. The women currently participate in a small beading business and host tourists in their village. Although they have taken advantage of these opportunities, they continue to face many challenges in their daily lives and often struggle to generate enough money to go beyond their basic needs.
We have worked with the women to better understand these challenges and how they hope to overcome them in the future. The women have hopes for themselves in the future, but the fundamental vision of Unity is to provide their children with more educational opportunities than previous generations. In Samburu, 64% of the population has a primary education, but only 7% has a secondary education level. Primary school in Kenya is free, but secondary school (high school) is very costly and often exceeds the women’s annual average income. To achieve this community vision, Unity’s goal is to increase the means to provide for themselves, their children, and the future generations of Unity Women’s Village to become a model of resilience and hope.
With your generosity along with the strength and resilience of this community, we can make a difference in their lives by sponsoring one or more of their community goals. Below are the top 3 community goals of Unity. Each of these goals have come directly from discussions with the women of Unity and are feasible with your support.
Security fence: A perimeter fence around the village will increase security for the women and children, and also keep their livestock within in a confined area so they are less likely to lose livestock.
A new tourist hut: Unity women love to host tourists in their village and feel that a new tourist hut would increase their ability to welcome larger groups or multiple groups at one time.
A secure bead market: The women of Unity, and Samburu people, are known for their intricate beadwork. Currently, the women store their beads independently and bring them out for tourists under an unfinished structure. Building a secure market within the village would ensure that their beads are safe and accessible at any time, plus it would be easier for shoppers to shop!
We're hosting a community celebration for Unity on September 20th, and we hope to share the proceeds from this campaign at that time. Thank you for any amount of support you can offer!
Check out their website if you are interested in staying or just want to learn more!
https://unitywomensvillage.wordpress.com
If you’d like to further support these women and a local non-profit providing educational opportunities to children in Samburu, you can buy their handmade beaded jewelry online: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SupportSamburu?ref=seller-platform-mcnav.
Fundraising team (2)
Meredith Swifty Grady
Organizer
Fort Collins, CO
Will Davis
Team member
