The thorny trees and dung-covered houses of Umoja village make it unlike any other in the Samburu region of northeast Kenya, except for one key detail: the absence of men. Since its inception more than 30 years ago, Umoja has served as a haven for women from the Samburu community and beyond fleeing female genital mutilation, domestic violence or child marriage.
“They used to abuse me, but now I feel free,” says Christine Sitiyan, 26, a mother of four who left her marriage because her husband physically assaulted her. Losing hope in the relationship, she initially attempted to return to her hometown, but the cattle used as a dowry to secure their marriage had been stolen. “When I returned home, they sent me back to my husband because my mother didn’t have any animals to give him back,” says Sitiyan, who is adorned with a kaleidoscope of beads that Samburu women often wear. His only option was to move to Umoja.
Three decades ago, Rebecca Lolosoli felt compelled to denounce the violence she suffered at home and witnessed against women in her heavily male-dominated society. When her defenses met hostility, she and 15 other women banded together to found Umoja – meaning unity – a city where men are taboo.
It’s now a wealthy, self-sufficient community of nearly 40 families, and the women make money selling traditional beads to tourists and at a nearby campground. As the city’s matriarch, time has not diminished Lolosoli’s resolve. “I am very proud to live in this village because now there is no one to stress me and my husband will not attack me here,” she says. “I live as a mother with children fighting for her rights against early marriage and female genital mutilation.”
The village is not without problems: local men routinely steal their livestock. But Sitiyan is in no hurry to let a man back into her life. “I don’t want to get married again because I had a bad time, they abused me. I had no rights and my children couldn’t go to school,” she explains. “Now I’m proud to be a mother.”
Life in Umoja in pictures
Women from the Samburu tribe who have escaped gender-based violence stand in front of a traditional mud hut known as a manyatta, in the village of Umoja, where men are taboo, near Archers Post, in northern Samburu County, Kenya.MONICAH MWANGI (Portal )These women of the Samburu tribe escaped female genital mutilation and other forms of gender-based violence. In the picture they carry firewood on their heads to use as fuel in their village: Umoja.MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)The residents of Umoja make jewelry from colored beads, which they then sell to tourists at a nearby campsite. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Nalangu Lelosoli and Baina Lesanjir, both women from the Samburu tribe who escaped female genital mutilation and other gender-based violence, speak to children in Umoja village, where men are banned. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Christine Sitiyan, a woman from the Samburu tribe who fled gender-based violence, stands in the doorway of a traditional mud house in Umoja, where she lives. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Umoja was founded 30 years ago by 15 women. Today about 40 families of mothers with their children live here. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Jane Nomuken, vice president of Umoja village, sings among the women of the Samburu tribe who inhabit the village. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)The women build and repair dilapidated houses in the village. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Nalangu Lelosoli and Baina Lesanjir, both women of the Samburu tribe, talk to children of Umoja, children of its female residents. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)The village is not without problems: local men routinely steal their livestock. But they feel free and don’t think about accepting men into their lives or into their village. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Umoja’s neighbors sing, but they weren’t always happy. Most have escaped violent situations. “They used to abuse me, but now I feel free,” says Christine Sitiyan, 26, a mother of four who left her marriage because her husband physically assaulted her. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)Umoja’s neighbors now feel safe. In the picture they are taking part in a traditional dance between the houses of the village. MONICAH MWANGI (Portal)
Report from Jefferson Kahinju And Monica Mwangi; writing from here holland; output from Bernadette Baum.
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