Umoja, Kenya

Common card · No. 248120

Umoja Uaso ("unity" in Swahili; the Uaso Nyiro is a nearby river) is a village in central Kenya. The village, founded in 1990, is an all-female matriarchy located near the town of Archers Post in Samburu County, 380 km (240 mi) from the capital, Nairobi. It was founded by Rebecca Lolosoli, a Samburu woman, as a sanctuary for homeless survivors of violence against women, and young girls running from forced marriages or female genital mutilation. The women of the Samburu people do not agree with violence and the traditional subordinate position of women. They run a primary school, cultural center and camping site for tourists visiting the adjacent Samburu National Reserve. They create and sell jewellery to benefit the village.

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