Support Our 501(c)(3) Mission:
Bridging Educational and Living Gaps
Despite its international recognition, Umoja Village continues to face economic hardships and hostility from surrounding patriarchal communities. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and ethical cultural tourism to sustain our mission.
Your tax-deductible 501(c)(3) donation directly funds our efforts to help Kenya progress by:
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Sharing Knowledge
Expanding educational resources and providing access to information that empowers women.
Providing Basic Needs
Ensuring access to clean water, healthcare, food security, and essential living items.
Illuminating Educational & Living Gaps
Directly addressing the disparities in education and quality of life for women and children.
Stand in solidarity with the women of Umoja.
Your contribution is an investment in human rights, gender equality, and the eradication of gender-based violence.
Umoja Women's Village: A Matriarchal Haven Challenging Patriarchy in Kenya
Umoja Women's Village is a revolutionary community in Samburu, Kenya — built in resistance to extreme patriarchy and harmful traditions. It provides safety, dignity, and economic independence to women and children who survived gender-based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), and forced child marriage — sometimes to girls as young as 8.
In Samburu County, nearly half of all women face gender-based violence — and most cases are never reported. Over 500 women have passed through Umoja since 1990 — each one a life redirected toward safety, dignity, and freedom.
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When I got married I was so young… life has been so hard for me.
I regret I did not finish school; every day we live with memories that haunt us.
Interview: AL Jazeera
The Founding of Umoja:
A Feminist Uprising and Matriarchal Vision
1990
In 1990, Rebecca Lolosoli and 13 other Samburu women came together to create something unprecedented: a village led entirely by women, for women.
Many of these founding members were survivors of severe abuse, rape, and forced marriage. Some were shunned and rejected by their own families simply for speaking out against the violence they endured.
Umoja
— a Swahili word
meaning "unity".
Rebecca herself had dreamed of becoming a nurse, but her education was cut short by an early, forced marriage. When she began publicly advocating for women's rights and the protection of rape survivors, she faced severe backlash, threats, and physical beatings for challenging the deeply rooted patriarchal traditions of her community.
Refusing to be silenced, Rebecca and her peers established Umoja — a Swahili word meaning "unity". What began as a small refuge has since grown into a world-renowned, women-led community.
Today, Rebecca Lolosoli is an internationally acclaimed defender of women's rights, fighting relentlessly against FGM and abuse.
That small act of defiance became a village.
That village became a movement.
Within this unique community, women receive:
01
Safety and Shelter
A secure, violence-free home and territory where they can exist without fear for their lives or well-being, where men are not allowed.
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02
Access to Medicine & Basic Necessities
We help ensure the women and children of Umoja have access to essential medicines, clothing, hygiene products, and other basic necessities. By meeting these immediate needs, we support their health, dignity, and ability to live more safely and independently.
04
Culture as a source of income:
Engagement in traditional beadwork and craft-making for personal use and sale, fostering economic independence.
03
Education
and Knowledge
Opportunities for learning, including English language studies, access to gadgets and the internet, and general education. This is crucial for women whose education was denied by early marriage, allowing them to pursue their own goals and ambitions.
05
Sustainable Living
Participation in gardening and farming within the village to ensure food security and self-sufficiency.
Help Us To Build a Better Future For UMOJA Women's Village
Current Fundraising Goals:
Building a Secure and Sustainable Future
Help us to keep Umoja running and growing, there are urgent needs on the ground. Here is where your support goes directly.
Clean Water — New Well
We're raising $10,000 to drill a deep-water well — clean water for drinking, hygiene, and farming, so women never have to walk unsafe roads to find it.
Protective Fencing and Security
A secure perimeter fence to protect the village, the livestock, and the women inside it — because the threat doesn't stop at the gate.
Solar Energy and Sustainable Power
Solar panels to provide light, power for educational tools, and safety at night — because the path to independence shouldn't go dark at sunset.
Because of the strength of the global economy and the local purchasing power in rural Kenya, even the smallest contribution creates a tangible ripple of change.
To put this into perspective,
a hotel worker in some regions may earn as little as $2.30 for a full 14.5-hour shift. In this context, what might seem like a small gesture elsewhere becomes a life-changing resource in Samburu.
Here is what your support can provide:
$1
$2
$5
$10
$200
Can provide a full day of basic nutrition (milk, bread, and eggs) for a child in the village.
Covers the cost of a basic clothing item or essential hygiene supplies.
Can provide a week’s worth of school supplies for a student.
Can contribute significantly toward a high-quality school uniform or a pair of durable shoes.
Can provide access to a doctor’s consultation, essential medical care, and necessary medications for women and children in the village.
Whether it is $1, $10, or $10,000, your support directly bridges the gap between survival and opportunity. We invite you to join us in this journey of progress, where every bit of help is a brick in the foundation of a safer, more equal future.
Wear the Story
Umoja Handcrafted Jewellery
100% of every sale goes directly to the Umoja Women and their villages, which now boasts a total of 28 matriarchal villages throughout the Samburu region.