ActionAid Kenya, in collaboration with International Peace for Human Rights and Development (IPHRD), has conducted training of trainers’ (TOTs) workshops for a total of 70 young and experienced women in insecurity-ravaged areas to enable them to become champions in addressing conflict-related traumas in their communities.
According to ActionAid Project Officer Rulia Nelline, the young and experienced women drawn from parts of Baringo North and Marigat sub-counties are then expected to create awareness of conflict, provide spaces where they could have conversations for healing, and equip the victims with knowledge and skills on the management of trauma.
Speaking during a training session held in Marigat town, Ms Nelline said that the training has been cascaded to the community level, where women were emotionally and physically abused and required psycho-social support to live normal lives.
“We have 480 women who are mostly widows after their husbands died as a result of armed conflicts in the region, which has not known peace and stability for decades,” she said.
The project officer noted that the two non-governmental organisations operating in the region were trying to build the capacity of the trainers who would meet the affected women in their respective communities in order to build their resilience so that they are able to develop coping mechanisms during the conflict-related period.
She stated that most of the women from the region were challenged to go about their lives after undergoing untold suffering.
“We want these women to be built psychosocially and be able to move forward in their daily lives so that they can live a normal life like other women from other communities,” said the Coordinator.
IPHRD Executive Director Susan Wamalwa said that they have pitched camp in the county for three days, where they engaged both experienced and young women on conflict-related traumas associated with cattle and banditry activities.
The Executive Director noted that a bigger percentage of those seriously affected by the clashes were young women, girls and children who were always forced to flee their homes after their houses were burnt down, properties destroyed and livestock driven away.
“During the three days of engagement, we have been able to receive feedback from the women and identify ways to help them stand in the gap for their families,” Ms. Wamalwa said.
She pointed out that having such conversations would not only heal their souls but also act as an avenue where they would gain knowledge and skills to carry on with their lives.
Mary Lekereu, a survivor of the conflicts from Mukutani Ward, thanked the two organisations for seeing it fit to conduct such training, which would go a long way in assuring them of hope.
She noted that the insecurity problem has left her three children without a father and livelihoods after their house was razed down to ashes by armed criminals.
“I was personally affected, as our house was burnt and property destroyed. My sewing machine and clothes were taken away, reducing me to a pauper with no source of income to educate my children.
But I have not given up. I have picked up again, bought another machine and restarted my tailoring retail business,” she narrated.
Iren Jebet, another survivor from Arabal, said the memories of conflict were still fresh in her mind after losing a close relative alongside family livestock.
She called for the training to be extended to more victims at the grassroots level for them to break the pain.
Jebet said she is optimistic that one day Baringo will be known for good things and not for banditry.
During the training, the women received certificates as an honour for holding their broken families together.
By Joshua Kibet
