Women in Busia defy cultural norms to construct dwellings and establish commercial ventures
In the heart of Busia, Kenya, two women are defying cultural norms and rewriting the narrative of what women can achieve. Lilian Awoko and Risper Oketch, both residents of Mulakha village and Odiado village respectively, are thriving in roles once considered taboo, thanks to the support of organisations like Village Enterprise.
For decades, the culture in Busia dictated that women who planted or sold trees would die. However, Lilian Awoko, a 40-year-old tree seedling entrepreneur, is breaking this curse. Her business, initially refused by customers due to her gender, has grown to manage more than 20,000 seedlings and supplies to county and national governments.
Similarly, Ms. Oketch, who built a two-bedroom mud house in Odiado village in 1993, defied cultural norms that forbade women from building houses. Despite being mocked, isolated, and rejected by in-laws and neighbours, Oketch persevered. Today, she has built two more houses and supported two of her children through university.
Judith Otieno, a business mentor at Village Enterprise, states that they are enabling women to break free from poverty and defy cultural barriers. Through their programme, over 300 women in Busia have been empowered with grants worth Sh15 million. Oketch and Awoko are among these women, receiving training and grants to expand their businesses.
Oketch was selected to lead a group of four women and received a Sh28,500 grant to start a goat trading business, an activity traditionally dominated by men. Today, they are thriving, despite facing challenges such as being arrested for alleged goat theft. With the support of the area chief, they continued and expanded their business.
Awoko's success is not just about survival but about rewriting the narrative of what women can do in Busia and rural Kenya. In a good day, she makes between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000. Her husband, once skeptical, is now her biggest supporter. Oketch's husband had gone blind the same year she built her house, and she feared wild animals more than cultural punishment.
Mindsets in Busia are changing, allowing women to thrive in roles once considered taboo. The success of Oketch and Awoko serves as a testament to the power of empowerment and the resilience of women in overcoming cultural barriers and poverty.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
