ICUUW member Siro Wildah Kwamboka, a women ministry leader in Nairobi, Kenya, is working in her local community on a food sustainability project. She shared a presentation and a video with us that we shared with the larger UU community at our stand in the exhibit hall of General Assembly in Baltimore. Siro and her minister Justine Magara also provided us with beautiful objects from Kenya that we raffled off. All visitors at the GA booth in Baltimore and all of our ICUUW members were invited to enter the raffle. The lucky winners were
Vanessa Cowie of North Carolina - bracelet
Rev Jenny Peek of Idaho - Kenya magnet
Niel Leon of Maryland - warrior magnet
Kelly Sackheim of New York - basket
They each received their prizes in the mail shortly after GA.
Siro’s project is committed to addressing local challenges such as food insecurity, poverty, and gender-based violence, particularly through the empowerment of women. About 20 women are working together to learn how to grow, harvest and prepare vegetables (corn, beans, sweet potato) rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The project improves nutrition for the whole family and reduces cases of malnutrition. It promotes food sovereignty and resilience in the Maasai community. It also enables women to generate income through selling surplus produce such as beans and other vegetables. Contributing financially, the women are in a better position to combat domestic violence.
The project puts Maasai women at the forefront of the agricultural transformation. The women collectively hire tractors before the onset of the April rains to prepare their land. This ensures timely planting of crops such as beans and other vegetables. The women’s leadership and participation not only boost productivity but also uplift their socio-economic status. Women in the community are trained to grow, harvest, and prepare vegetables rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The vegetables improve the nutritional health of families and serve as a potential source of income. This initiative is a critical step for the Maasai community transitioning from nomadic pastoralism to sustainable agriculture. Such transformation promotes permanent settlement, making it easier for government agencies to provide infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and clean water. As families stabilize, education and healthcare access also improve.
Empowering women leads to stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities. Through sustainable farming, the Maasai UU Community is building a future of food security, reduced gender-based violence, and improved living conditions. Together, we can continue this journey toward peace, prosperity, and sustainability.
Watch the video (7 minutes) or read the presentation: UU Maasai Women Food Sustainability Project.