To support Kenya's indigenous Ogiek women to improve the livelihoods of their family by investing in training, equipment and skills for dairy farming. With support of $20,000, and an aim to reach 200 women, the project will purchase hybrid cows, freezers, construction of a store room, pots for storing milk and glass bottles for packaging yoghurt and training on adding value to milk marketing and networking.
The Ogiek people, who number around 45,000, remain some of the poorest people in Kenya, suffering from high rates of landlessness and joblessness. Ogiek is an indigenous minority community in Kenya which since the colonial period has been subjected to marginalization. A 2016 study by National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and which covered all areas of community's residence showed high levels of illiteracy and poverty among the Ogiek.
OPDP seeks to change the lives of Ogiek women by giving them an opportunity to become financially independent and empowered. We are seeking to raise $20,000 to assist 200 women start dairy farming. This will involve purchase of hybrid cows, freezers, construction of a store room, pots for storing milk and glass bottles for packaging yoghurt and training on adding value to milk marketing and networking.
By giving Ogiek women an opportunity to improve their livelihoods, not only would individual household opportunities improve but so could the vicious cycle of poverty be overcome. Households would be better able to confront hunger, illiteracy, teenage pregnancy and environmental degradation.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).