Oloitokitok: The State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Chyulu Hills REDD+ Carbon Project, and Ushanga Initiative, has launched the Ushanga Innovation Resource Centres (UIRC) project. This initiative aims to commercialize beadwork and empower approximately 10,000 women across the Imbirikani, Kuku, Kuku-A, and Rombo group ranches.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ushanga Initiative Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Mashipei encouraged women to register for the project to fully access its benefits. Mashipei emphasized the importance of registration, highlighting the project’s focus on digitizing beadwork marketing to promote sustainable economic empowerment for women. The project includes components for measuring the vulnerability of women, assisting them in accessing international markets, and providing capacity-building opportunities for registered members.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga described the initiative as a cornerstone of sustainable development, aligning with the Kenya Kwanza manifesto by advancing priorities such as the Women Agenda, Digital and Creative Economy, and Environmental Conservation. KWS plans to support the project by offering space in park gift shops to showcase the beadwork, thus creating a link between wildlife conservation and community development while preserving Kenya’s cultural and wildlife heritage.
Prof. Kanga also announced plans to establish tanneries at each centre to process leather, a key material in beadwork. Additionally, boreholes will be drilled to facilitate tree planting in line with the President’s directive to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. The partners will provide modern training and tools to help women meet international market standards for beadwork.
The community has contributed by providing space in the centres for grass bailing, a measure intended to provide relief during drought periods.