Ms Leonida Odongo

Hello Pulsewire members

My name is Leonida Odongo from Kenya .

I would like to share on my experience on empowering rural widows on property and inheritance rights

On 21st August 2008, Ebony Youth and Orphans Support Initiative Kenya in collaboration with Mitei Self Help group through Peter Muya a community based paralegal trainee and a civic educator – trained by Legal Resources Foundation Trust , organized a one day sensitization workshop on Widows Property and Inheritance Rights. The sensitization brought together 87 participants, 3 men (one Reverend of Redeemed Gospel Church and two civic educators) and 84 women, 69 of whom were widows. The facilitation was carried out in Kiswahili and Kamba languages. The training material adopted were from Royal Tropical Institute Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Gender and Democracy Training and Johannesburg 2007), Dignity International’s Global Linking and Learning Programme (June 2008-Nairobi) and Legal Resources Foundation.
Welcome dance ( Kathama Location, Mwala District-Eastern Province of Kenya

The objectives of the workshop were:
• Social mobilization of widows to give widows and women a collective voice
• Increased awareness on linkages between HIV/AIDS , gender and Property and Inheritance among local leaders
• Increased knowledge and improved attitudes among women on their property and inheritance rights
• Improved attitudes and knowledge among community members on widows and orphans property and inheritance rights

We only expected a handful of participants but were shocked when 87 came , 84 were women , in fact one young woman had been widowed 3 days prior to the workshop(so sad).This is our initial step in empowering rural widows and we intend to cover the whole country and empower rural women to navigate power.

Thanks

Leonida Odongo
Ebony Youth and Orphans Support Initiative Kenya
Email:Eyosik2004@yahoo.com