Take Care of Woman, Take Care of a Community

Monday was a day full of bustling energy, good vibes, and group bonding between WGC Team Kenya, WWANC, and female entrepreneurs from surrounding areas of Kakamega. We were beyond excited to hand over the eight bicycles WGC raised funds for to these very deserving women. The eight fully-equipped bicycles came with helmets, air pumps, and safety bands. Our goal is to eventually provide every woman with a bicycle to help support their businesses and improve their overall quality of life. Many of the women travel more than 20 kilometers in a given day by foot. Some of the businesses that the bicycles will help support include the growing of vegetables, the raising and selling of chicken, and the marketing and selling of clothing and handmade goods. The Bicycle Safety and Maintenance workshop began with introductions where the women greeted one another with the Kenyan handshake and chanted in unison the phrase “Woman E” meaning empowered woman. As I scanned the room, I was in awe of the strong, independent, and resourceful group. Many of the women have received microloans and have already doubled their business’ profit and intend on expanding. With bicycles, the women will have the opportunity to market and sell their products more efficiently and further increase their profitability.  In the workshop, the women learned bicycle safety and maintenance strategies by Tamarra and Dick Waswa, the spokesperson for Exito Investments Limited, an organization based out of Nairobi that provides services to developing businesses to increase their efficiency and productivity in a growing, competitive market. Among these services is being a provider of bicycle transport. Mr. Waswa made our partnering with the organization the perfect match for he is a man of strong conviction and an empowering message that struck a chord with us all: “I am a feminist. I am not an apologist. If we take care of woman, we take care of a community.” These bicycles will go a long way in having women take care of the self and others.

 

 

 

 

Authors: Monica D. Hernandez; Brandy Weitzel

Advertisement