In Narok County, at the foothills of the Rift Valley, lives the Maasai community—a population with ancient roots, characterized by a strong bond with the land and an agro-pastoral way of life. Maasai culture is distinguished by its strong sense of community identity and by important rites of passage for boys and girls as they enter adulthood.
Within the population, as in the rest of the country, deep inequalities between men and women persist. Narok County in particular records extremely high levels of gender-based violence, as well as harmful practices and traditions such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. In this context, 51% of girls are subjected to female genital mutilation as a rite of passage into adulthood, 43% of adolescent girls aged 15 to 18 report early pregnancies, and only 2.7% are aware of local support services. Moreover, in the county only 63.5% of students receive adequate sexual and reproductive health education, limiting their ability to become agents of change and promoters of more inclusive and equitable social norms.
Local development is hindered not only by gender-based violence, but also by climate change, which creates significant challenges to community livelihoods. The area is characterized by an arid and semi-arid climate, where livestock herding and trade represent the main sources of income. Drought and the lack of adequate water systems therefore have serious repercussions on the well-being of the population and contribute to high unemployment rates, particularly among young people.
It is in this context that IMARA – Women Empowerment, Environment & Health Support was created, a project funded by AICS – the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, led by WeWorld, in partnership with GRT, CHP – Community Health Partners, ADS South Rift, and ARCO-PIN. The aim of the intervention is to strengthen systems of prevention, protection, and response to all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination in the county, while ensuring equitable access to economic and natural resources in order to build a more sustainable community resilient to climate change.
IMARA places civil society and the potential of individuals at the center of its approach in order to trigger meaningful change in violent behaviors and discriminatory social norms. For this reason, the project works directly in schools, offering training courses on sexual and reproductive health rights to students, teaching staff, and families. The project also reaches girls who, due to early pregnancies or experienced violence, have been forced to drop out of school, providing them with education and support aimed at facilitating their reintegration into the school system.
Through the project, significant work is also carried out at the institutional level to train and raise awareness among authorities, healthcare personnel, and the general public on issues related to gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive rights.
As a technical partner, GRT contributes its expertise in the field of psychosocial health to ensure psychological support for survivors of gender-based violence through psychosocial support (PSS) operators hosted in the county’s two main shelters: Tasaru Rescue Centre and Osilighi Rescue Centre. In addition, GRT provides training and capacity-building activities on gender-based violence within the target institutions.
We are very proud to take part in such an important project and to strengthen collaboration with local and international actors. Together, we will achieve crucial goals for the development of an inclusive and safe community for everyone.
The project is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
