Strength of a rural woman

By Marianne Wangare
 

What do you think of the term official wife? Many times rural woman is not recognized in the society. Most of them are taken for granted without keen observance of the critical role they play in the society. Their contribution to development of society have often passed unnoticed.Several cases have identified them with mistreatment, trauma and depression as their associative characteristics. Pre-historic times have defined a woman as an inferior vessel at the disposal of man.

Photo of rural woman tendering farm

Men have been presumed as the kings of the family. However, the 21^st century women are also heading their homes. This is very particular in rural homesteads where they are left with the burden of shouldering family responsibilities. Single women who have kids to take care of have also shown the world that they are equal to the task through their unwavering dedication to raise a healthy family. Incidences of men battering their wives as the children watch have only served as a point of giving children a bad picture of a united family. These women are affected and some of them leave their families to escape the wrath of the husband. More so the children are affected in their social relations when they grow up and even affect their education life. In the recent months battering of women had decreased and a trend of men being battered by their wives has been recorded. This led to the degradation of men’s right of ruling the house in the society.

In the olden days women were not allowed to do men’s tasks. It was forbidden, as they were supposed to do the house chores and take care of the family. During this revolutionized era women have become more independent. This is because they have been able to provide for their families and take care of large properties. Most men are so pessimistic about the independent woman because they know very few of them get married. It has been quite a challenge to them. The new generation women are reluctant to accept some of the things that were observed during the time of the forefathers. They believe a man should also be of equal help in the house despite his gender.

Women have been able to acquire more knowledge; hence most of them own successful businesses and large companies. They are also turning out to be great leaders in the society. Some have been appointed as women representatives in senior positions of government. This has helped them to represent their fellow women in the government. It has also enabled funding of projects started by women groups in the society.

The unemployed woman involves herself with self employment.Women in the society have come up with groups hence chat ways on how they can improve their livelihoods. This has helped a lot because some have started making blocks which are used for building. They also make energy saving jikos and practise tree planting. By doing all these activities they are able to earn income which helps them improve their livelihood. It has also exposed them to more knowledge especially in the sector of technology where most people are not conversant with. Rural women easily use mobile phones and have quickly appreciated the emergence of modern technologies like electronic money transactions.

No schooling for the herd's boy!

By Bett Kipsang’

 Even after the free primary education was introduced close to ten years ago, children among some pastoral communities have never had a chance to go to school. Reason being; to look after their parent’s livestock! I recently visited a village in Laikipia west to accompany my two other colleagues who were visiting a tomato farmer, call him ''John'', not his real name. Their identities are withheld because some of the subjects are minors.

Dam: Primary source of water.

John, a diligent farmer; in the area uses a motor engine to pump water from a nearby dam into his farm where he is growing maize, beans and tomatoes under irrigation. After going round to see how the water was circulating, we decided to go and see the source of that water.

Two boys and a girl were watering their livestock on the other side of the dam. They were aged between 7 and 14. 

The boys only knew little Kiswahili, but the girl hardly answered a question, meaning she did not clearly understand any other language apart from her mother tongue.

 I asked them if they had started schoolling and the eldest boy pointed at the other boy, saying, ‘‘This one goes’’. When asked why he did not go to school himself, the answer was rather shocking, ‘‘If I go to school, who will look after the cattle?’’ said the elder boy. He was so deliberate and sincere; to him herding livestock was all that life had in store for a young man of his age! 

Before long other children arrived at the dam driving their sheep and goats to drink water. We asked them if they were going to school and they responded,'No' except the grandson of the farmer we had gone to visit.

 The class eight boy was the same age as the others. I asked them what they wanted to do when they grow up. But to my surprise it was like the children had never imagined of such a distant future.

Then they looked at the camera on my friend’s hand, and they wanted to see what it was. To their surprise, they could see the photos of the farm, dam and their livestock. It became a captivating moment as they all jostled to view the photos. We showed them how to take photos, and they curiously took hold of the camera and started taking each other’s snaps in turn. The camera could have been the only technological gadget they had ever seen, probably apart from the radio and mobile phones which are common in most of the households.

 On our way back a discussion ensued as to what really lay in the future for such kids. Not only was primary education free, it was also compulsory, and parents who failed to take their children to school risked arrest and prosecution. But to our surprise, children grazed livestock in broad day-light without the fear of the arm of the government catching up with them.

‘‘So the free primary education is not accessible to everyone?’’ I thought. Even if education was not free, these children would not have had a chance because their parents value livestock more than anything else. Livestock alone could not by any means guarantee these little kids a succesfull and happy future!

A teacher from a nearby primary school told the LRV  that his school has less than fifty pupils from class one to eight. He reported that pupils from the community who remain in school are ussually very bright. Some of them have livestock and seek permision of absence during market days so that they can go and sell their stock. Though livestock are owned by men,the teacher reported that grazing of livestock in the community is the role of women. A woman who has grown up children is counted as lucky because her children will help in grazing as the mother attend to other duties, and that is why most children are not in school.

LRV contacted another teacher from a different school who sought anonimity, because he is not authorised to speak on behalf of that school. He reported a story whereby children from the same family take turns between school and the grazing field. One child could go to school for one year as the other one looks after the livestock. The following year, they exchange roles and the one from the grazing field goes to school as the other one goes to look after livestock for one year! These children keep on attending the same class for too long untill they are too old to concentrate in studies.

The big question is; How can such children compete with their educated age mates when they grow up? ‘‘Maybe they will only be watchmen and casual laborers to the other schooled boy!’’ said one guy who was in our company.  You are tempted to laugh, but it’s a true painful story! I can now understand why some communities will attach a lot of value to hundreds of heads of livestock, even much more than life.

Officer slain in the ‘valley of death’ laid to rest in Ng’arua

By Bett Kipsang’

When the family of Charles Rono woke up on Sunday, they were by far not prepared for the sad news awaiting them.  The country and the world had woken up to the worst incident in the history of Kenyan police force. Tens of officers had been felled by cattle rustlers in Suguta Valley, Samburu County which has since been referred to as the ''Valley of Death''.

Charles Rono, 29 was among the ill fated police officers who perished in the line of duty at the valley. He was married to Patricia Jemutai, 24. And they were blessed with two young daughters aged 2 and three months old.

 The late officer joined police force five years ago and served at the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) in Gilgil and Maralal, until his death which occurred as him and fellow officers were pursuing cattle rustlers. It is reported that 41 other officers perished in the incident rated the worst in the history of the Kenyan police force. 

When the news of the fallen hero started trickling in, the entire Mithika Sub location in Ng’arua division was submerged in deep sorrow and the family got soaked in tears to moan a beloved son, husband and father of two. The sad news had changed the bearing of the young family forever. When LRV visited the area on Tuesday, family members and neighbors sat in somber moods as they waited for the arrival of the remains of their beloved son.

 Plans to bring the body home from Gilgil were first thwarted when some families and relatives of the slain officers could not positively identify the bodies, forcing the exercises to delay so that the CID could conduct forensic verification.  

The elder daughter of the deceased was busy playing with other kids. They jumped up and down from the plastic chairs which had been brought in to be used by hundreds of mourners who will gather to pay their last respect to her dear father. The girls are perhaps too young to connect with the reality of losing a dear father and breadwinner. They will only grow up with a faint mirage of memories of who their father was!

Their mother Patricia Jemutai is faced with a daunting task of bringing up the two girls and meeting their educational needs. This may prove difficult unless the government intervenes to secure the future of the young family in honor of the gallant officer, who lost his life in the front line while enforcing law and order in the country.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Mithika village home on Wednesday, to pay their last respect to the fallen officer.

 Groups of people gathered and communicated in low voices each narrating what they have heard about the Sunday occurrence in the doomed valley. 

 The tales were heart-rending. A man who did not want to be identified reported that some police officers could not be identified because their bodies decomposed in the scorching heat and some were devoured by wild animals like hyenas. It is reported the bodies remained for up to two days before they were collected. 

The man told LRV that after the attack some police officers made desperate phone calls for rescue but died of over bleeding when their rescue was not forthcoming. 

This adds up to the grim statistics of the growing trends of insecurity in the country. It calls for drastic measures to be taken by the state to contain the situation and protect the lives of both citizens and security officers from criminals.

New classrooms at last for Bondeni

By Dennis Kipkirui

Hon.Nderithu Muriithi unveils a new classroom block

At long last pupils of Bondeni primary school, Laikipia County have a reason to smile. This is after new classrooms were commissioned on Monday by area MP and Industrialization assistant minister Nderitu Muriithi. It took seven months for the school to realize the dream after the roof of the former classroom was blown away by storm. Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV)did a vigorous campaign which drew a lot of attention and the school managed to get CDF funds which initially had proofed hard to come by to construct the new classrooms.

There was joy and merry when the MP officially unveiled the plaque as a sign of completion of the four classrooms. Ironically these were the first permanent buildings for the school after it was started in 1978 by then area MP Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki (famously known as GG and also vying for senator-ship in the County). Although many of those who attended the function saw it as a political mileage given that this is the electioneering period in the country, it could not escape attention that they were grateful to be remembered by the incumbent regime after being forgotten for many years. The MP promised to build more classrooms if elected in the up-coming General Elections.

View of new classroom block constructed using CDF

Earlier the event had received much publication after a vehicle had gone round to announce the coming of the MP. Many parents turned up to receive the guest. He urged them to elect him so that he can complete the projects he had started. He is currently vying for the post of senator in a United Democratic Forum (UDF) party headed by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi. 

Pupils learning in former dilapidated classroom

The MP is fighting off the alleged announcement made in the area by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who heads The National Alliance (TNA) party purported to be enjoying massive support in the area. It is alleged that Uhuru cautioned those MPs not in TNA that they will not be elected for any post unless they join his party. The remarks have attracted many condemnations especially from MPs from central province who are not in TNA and those from Eastern Rift Valley. It is worth noting that TNA is finding inroads in the area. This is shown by massive defections witnessed recently by County Representative aspirants in UDF to TNA. Muriithi asked residents to elect him given his unmatched development record in the area. Pundits however argue that he is among the under-performing MPs the area has ever had.

Man ekes a living with brush

By Maryanne Wangare 

      

He started crafting guitars and cars while still in primary school, where he also did `Art &Craft’ as a subject. He also took part in different art and drawing competitions, gaining more knowledge in that field of study and emerging the best. Unfortunately, his single mother could not afford to provide for him giving him hard options in life.He dropped out of school during his second term in standard eight due to lack of school fees. 

Waweru writing graphics [Photo: Joseph Kanyi| LRV]

 He went out for job hunting and did menial jobs in Molo so as to earn a living. He left Molo in 2001 and headed to Eldoret where he secured a job in a Hotel. He used the savings he had from the job to buy nine gallons of paint then went back to his home but ironically was chased by her mother and siblings.

Mr. John Waweru or` artist Waweru’ as he is commonly known by the people of Sipili Division in Laikipia West District is a 31yr old artist. He was born in a family of six and raised by a single parent.

After an acrimonious encounter at home, Waweru thought of going back to Molo but headed to a different location this time round Londiani, Kericho County. He started drawing graphics and making frames for pictures making a great deal in business. Once again, fate chose him destiny and ended up in Sipili. This came in form of displacement after the 2007/2008 post-election violence that rocked the country where over a thousand people were killed and hundred thousand displaced. Waweru embarked on the same work of drawing graphics. Lucky enough another business idea came and he found himself in the business of making rubber stamps.  

Waweru with his tools [Photo: Joseph Kanyi|LRV]

Any challenges? As it is always said `Behind every success there are some challenges’, Waweru faced hostility from his competitors. Many challenges came along the way such as unsatisfied clients who could end up paying less for services rendered. Marketing posed as an obstacle in his way to success. He only renders services in Sipili and its environs. Expansion has been hard to come by. This has lessened his opportunities to access many customers. With all the challenges he has faced he still works hard to improve his business.

Alongside his vocation is a curio shop in Sipili market which doubles up as his office. Painting and drawing is the only source of income for the father of one. However, he has managed to provide for his family with his meager savings.

To those who want to succeed in business, Waweru advices “management is the key thing in any job or business. Without a plan and budget in your business all won’t work for you who want to start a business. For one to be a successful business person trust is needed. This goes a long way to winning the trust of your clients. One should also know what the customers like and give a variation of prices. Business does well in any other place as long as one is ready to risk. Utilize your talent and use it to mould your future because you might gain a better living through it”.