In Kenya, in the middle of the desert, is a village called Umoja. There is a woman named Rebecca. She was in an abusive marriage. She was beaten and treated like a second-class citizen, but she saw that she was not the only one when she looked around. It is usual for women to be beaten and raped. It is usual for girls to be married as kids, and it is even normal for them to have their private parts cut and mutilated. She belonged to a culture called Samburu. In Samburu culture, it is traditional for a girl to be circumcised when ready to be married. It is so typical that when Rebecca asked the authorities to protect them from their husbands. No one helped her. The world turned its back to them.
So, one day she and the group of 14 other women decided to create their world. They said they don't need men. They can make it their own.
HOW THEY CREATED THEIR SMALL WORLD?
They picked out a piece of land and called it Umoja, which means UNITY, and with their own hands, they built everything. They built huts out of mud and trees. They made jewelry by hand and sold it to tourists for money. They even created a school to teach their children. They lead their girls to believe in themselves as women even without men.
In this village, women sing, dance, and raise their children in peace entirely without men's presence in their little world; no men are allowed to live here, not even their boyfriends. Young boys stay in the village until they are 18 years old. They may be allowed to stay there if they respect the guidelines of the women leaders.
At first, some men were jealous, so they set up their villages nearby to block tourists from coming in. they even got into Umoja and attacked the women, but Rebecca and everybody else held strong. They saved up money and eventually bought off the entire men's village.
Now, Umoja is a hundred women strong, and every one of them is a success story. This is what happens when women get chances. They succeed, they can build a society, they can lead, they run a business, they can thrive. But unfortunately, in most situations, women are not even given a chance to prove themselves in this world. Our governments needed to make better policies to protect and provide more chances to women, and we as parents need to educate our sons to respect women. So that one day, not just this village but the whole planet will be a place where women can succeed
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WOMEN IN SAMBURU CULTURE
Samburu ladies have a subordinate situation in their society. They are not permitted to possess land or different kinds of property, like domesticated animals. Ladies themselves are viewed as property of their husbands. They can depend on female genital mutilation, constrained marriage with the older folks, assault, and homegrown violence. Since then, at that point, an argument was raised against the British military for the assaults of more than 1,400 Samburu ladies. The case was cleared. Their spouses deserted these ladies since they were viewed as "defiled. Other men drove the ladies out of their homes, dreading they would now contract physically communicated illnesses from their assaulted wives.
How do they get pregnant?
Interestingly, the women charge an entry fee for others. Women can go on a secret night out with the man they chose from neighboring villages and have physical contact.
Umoja Village in Kenya does not allow any male into its village, but women do get pregnant here.
How to reach there?
There are five ways to get from Nairobi to Umoja.
1. bus via Mtindwa
2. taxi
3. direct bus
4. self-drive
5. Walk
The journey time between Nairobi and Umoja 1/Jasho Stage is around 21 min and covers approximately 9 km. The fastest journey typically takes 21 min. Operated by Nairobi Matatu, the Nairobi to Umoja 1/Jasho Stage service departs from Tusker/Ronald Ngala and arrives in Umoja 1/Jasho Stage. Typically 924 services run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary, so check in advance.
How do we support Umoja?
Much of the funding of Umoja Village comes from the women's beading. To support themselves, they sell the crafts to flocks of tourists who pass their village on the way to safari.
The Umoja Community at San Diego City College is designed to assist African Americans and other historically underrepresented students who desire to transfer to four-year colleges and universities and earn their degrees.
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