From a small seed, a mighty trunk may grow
The community has also been very active and appreciative of Charity’s work. Local women are engaging now, more than ever, in forest and farming activities.
Charity in her role as Deputy Secretary for the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association ©Rebecca Nduku
Women are the backbone of rural economies, particularly in Africa, but they are much less likely to be involved in the decision-making.
One woman debunking that trend is Charity Kathambi Chepkwony. A forest and farm producer, she is also the first woman elected to Kenya’s parliament for the Njoro Constituency in Nakuru County, about 170 kilometres north-west of the capital Nairobi.
“I had to fight against male opponents. I was told that women shouldn’t have the right to be in these leading positions, but I continued to be focused and promoted my ideas,” Charity said. “I had many intimidations, but I could not let them put me off. By preaching peace and becoming the voice of the community they realized that a woman could take the lead”.
Njoro is an agricultural area on the edge of the Rift Valley, and the constituency partly covers Mau forest, a large mountainous forest that is Kenya’s largest water catchment and a source of timber, food and jobs for many members of the local community. It has also been subject to illegal logging and degradation.