In February I spent a few days travelling with VSO staff on
an evaluation exercise assessing the impact of the funding and volunteers. This
was great as it gave me the opportunity to visit other volunteer’s placements. But
the one I had heard so much about and wanted to visit was the Dol Dol Masaii
women’s group. This is a great programme that helps Masaii women set up support
groups to work together to sell their products better in larger groups. It also
helps them with accounting and book keeping, pricing products, improving
product quality and consistency and in particular identifying product
diversification and markets.
We traveled a couple of hours in the hot sun on dusty dirt
roads into the bush. Passing a very dry and arid landscape and many dry river
beds. This is a very inhospitable environment. Finally, we passed Il Polai and
then another 20 mins to Dol Dol – this link is a good background to the
programme http://www.vsojitolee.org/news/press-release/38426/
Zaitun and one of her daughters
Some of the products they make
Modelling one of the ear rings
Another of the group members making bead work
We arrived on time but, it being Kenya, it was another hour or
so before the rest of the ladies arrived. Luckily two of the main representatives were
there so Mike did the individual interviews with them whilst I entertained one
of their kids. Inevitably, in minutes I was entertaining half the village
kids!!
A happy "student"
Studying hard
The class is growing!!
Great fun and they had an impromptu computer lesson and “helped” type a
little report for me. They seemed to love it. It helped to let the Mums focus
on the questionnaire. When they had finished we had time for a trip to one of
the ladies, Zaitun's, home for photos for the report, etc. We needed photos of the Zaitun and her family
doing the beadwork on location etc. The house was a little out of town up on a
small hill. Zaitun used to rent it but due to income improvements resulting from the training etc she ha been able to buy it and was slowly making it int a lovely home as the money came in.
"Look at what I made!"
They had made it very homely and I was made very welcome. The kids
loved the photo opportunity and were not shy at all. The son decided to be
solemn for the photos but had a great smile like the others when the camera was
not in his direction!! Then after some fine chai we headed back to the village
for the focus group discussions.
Finally we were through and it was time to leave, what a
great insight though into this amazing group of ladies.
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