Young Kenyan woman feted for role in rural development

By A MESHA Correspondent


NAIROBI – Tuesday October 23, 2007 - Mercy Kiyapyap, a young woman from West Pokot district in Kenya, has been chosen for the 2007 Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life, an award sponsored by the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) to honour women working in rural communities around the world.

Ms Kiyapyap is an assistant project director of the Cabesi project, (Camels, Bees and Silk), a self-help initiative by icipe --African Insect Science for Food and Health with funding from the BioVision Foundation of Switzerland.

The project, which places strong emphasis on empowering women, aims at turning the disadvantages of West Pokot, one of the driest and poorest areas of Kenya, into advantages. Cabesi members have learnt modern beekeeping methods and wild silk farming, two enterprises that integrate well with the area’s vegetation. In addition, they have domesticated the camel, an animal that is more drought tolerant than cattle, for milk and transport.

Started from humble beginning three years ago, today Cabesi covers 9000 km2 benefiting over 3000 people. Ms Kiyapyap joined the project in its infancy and has greatly contributed to its phenomenon growth. Through the project she has trained as a social worker and eco-trainer and is currently responsible for training over 1000 people, most of them women. She is widely looked upon as a leader by both men and women, and has clearly broken the gender barriers so prevalent in her community.

Using Cabesi as her launching pad, Ms Kiyapyap continues to contribute to the progress of women in West Pokot, by establishing women's cooperatives, promoting their education and rights including fighting for the elimination of practices such as female genital mutilation and forced marriages of girls.

She is also actively involved in peace building initiatives between the Pokot, Turkana, Samburu and Marakwet. She is a co-initiator of the Cabesi Beauty Pageant, a festival which brings together these neighbouring and often rivalling tribes in a friendly celebration of their women and different cultures. Her efforts have borne fruit. For instance, today, Pokot and Marakwet children amiably attend a primary school that Ms Kiyapyap helped to renovated.

Ms Kiyapyap is among 14 laureates selected by an international jury for the 2007 Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life awards, through which the WWSF participates in addressing the eradication of rural poverty, gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment.

In addition to a cash prize, a personal award letter, certificate and badge, Ms Kiyapyap will receive wide recognition. This includes a travelling exposition on the award winners and their projects, which opened on September 10, 2007 at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva.