Inspired by tough childhood, Baringo model now empowers girls

Gender-based violence (GBV), unexploited potential, inequality and unfairness against women pushed Ms Diana Chebotibin, 32, to found an organization that protects, promotes and advocates for women’s and girls’ rights.

Her motivation was to address the prevailing gender inequalities, exploitation, alienation and discrimination in Kenya that push women to take the back seats in discourses touching on them.

Born and raised in Baringo County - a county where gender-based violence forms like FGM are prevalent - Diana was orphaned at the age of 16 while in Form Three, exposing her to a myriad of challenges.

The Master’s degree holder (M.Sc. International Tourism Management) from Kenyatta University and currently pursuing her PhD at the same university, was left struggling to find a ray of light in a world that felt hopeless then.

“I was supported by my relatives, church and the community, who hosted me and my siblings in an integrated family setup throughout our schooling. Growing up in that situation was not easy, especially being a girl child,” she says.

Support young girls

That Ms Chebotibin was brought up in Christian environment, really helped her overcome the challenges she encountered in her life journey. She had to work hard and be a role model to her siblings.

“I have always wanted to support young girls who go through challenges such as those I experienced and also supporting women realise their full potential,” she says.

Ms Chebotibin created time to participate in community service that focused on women’s and girls’ empowerment in her community after graduating with her first degree.

It is at this point that she decided to create a platform to reach out to them, hence, Women Empowerment and Advocacy Network-Kenya (Wean-Ke) was founded in the year 2016.

“We envision a world where all women and girls, regardless of race, ethnicity, income level or social status, are nurtured and empowered to reach their full potential. We exist to strengthen the leadership, power, and voices of women and girls from marginalized, ethnic minority communities and groups,” she adds.

Wean-Ke and its partners have conducted mentorship programs for girls in various parts of Baringo County during the Covid-19 period, reaching out to more than 3,000 school-going girls who also received sanitary towels. The organisation is keen on taming teenage pregnancies through their programs.

There were reported cases of rise in teenage pregnancies in Baringo County, recently, and while the numbers are rising, local leaders are concerned they could be higher since most cases are not reported. Poverty and lack of parental guidance have been cited as the major reasons behind the rise, especially during this Covid-19 period.

“On the rising number of teen pregnancies, we are working closely with relevant authorities to see that girls are mentored on good morals and encouraged to report incidences related to teen pregnancies to the relevant authorities for action and further follow up to ensure the girls continue with their studies,” Ms Chebotibin says.

She notes that as an organization, they look forward to a better future where young girls understand themselves better so as to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. They are also working to ensure a society where women are empowered and involved in leadership and decision making processes.

Wean-Ke hopes to eradicate retrogressive cultural practices that affect women and girls within marginalized communities.

The organisation also trains women groups in Baringo County on detergent making and entrepreneurship skills thus empowering them economically.

While implementing its programs, Wean-Ke has experienced a number of challenges, especially because it is non-profit. It depends on well-wishers and donors for support and when there is limited resources, it becomes difficult to implement some of their programs.

Diverse communities

Insecurity is also a big challenge according to Ms Chebotibin.

“Baringo County is a home of diverse communities and many parts of the county is ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Land). The county hosts a number of ethnic minority and marginalized communities who depend on pastoralism for livelihood,” she says.

Due to decline in natural resources, including water and pasture caused by the prevailing weather conditions, these communities rely on the little available resources. This has resulted to conflicts witnessed in the county in the recent past where people have lost their lives and livestock through cattle rustling. When these conflicts occur, women and children are the most affected.

Natural calamities like floods have also been witnessed in some parts of the county, affecting the implementation of some Wean-Ke programs within the county.

Ms Chebotibin says local leaders support her initiative, including the county government that, through her organization, donated sanitary towels to girls during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organization has board members, a secretariat and volunteers from the community who have played a big role during mentorship programs and implementation of various activities for the organization.

Ms Chebotibin is also an entrepreneur managing the Bogoria Special Honey, a feminist championing women and girls’ rights and a former runway model who loves fashion.

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