Climate change has dramatically affected the lives of indigenous Maasai women in Kajiado County. A recent climate change vulnerability baseline survey in Ewuaso Kendong revealed the stark reality: what once took 2 weeks to build a house now takes 2 months because building materials are depleted by the impact of climate change on vegetation.
Understanding the Challenge
The vegetation has been affected by lack of rainfall to replenish it. After the survey, women are now well equipped with knowledge on areas that affect them, what they should do, and what they should demand from both county and national government to reverse the degradation.
Community-Led Solutions
Communities are developing their own homegrown institutions for awareness, information, knowledge sharing and local climate smart actions. RWN is building women's capacity in climate smart and conservation agriculture as they transition from pastoralism due to climate change impact on pasture.
Women are also improving their roofs for rainwater harvesting for home use and kitchen gardens. Communities require local leadership for coordination of actions and promotion of collaborative arrangements with government and other institutions.
Livelihood Learning Centres
RWN has established 3 Livelihood Learning Centres in Ewuaso Kendong, Keekonyokie and Ilondokilani wards. Communities learn various climate smart and conservation agriculture practices found in these centres and replicate them at the household level.
Building Adaptive Capacity
It is important to boost adaptive capacity of grassroot women to overcome adaptive challenges ranging from lack of information, finances and support for their resilience capacity. Through training and community support, women are becoming climate champions in their communities.
The Path Forward
With the availability of resources, RWN wants to initiate a movement 'Adopt a Sustainable Development Goal' for each of the groups that form the network to anchor localization of the Global Agenda 2030. The interventions will contribute to the achievement of the goals, translating nice words on paper to action by not 'Leaving Rural Women and Youth Behind'.