“Men are forbidden to enter” .. a village in Kenya for women only. What is its secret?

Weather of Arabia - About 400 kilometers north of the Nigerian capital, Nairobi, a group of Nigerian women who chose to flee experiences of sexual and physical abuse, and decided to live away from a reality controlled by men, gather in a village called “Umoja,” a term that means “loneliness.” In the local language.

Umoja Village...a village for women only

This small village, which housed only 15 women in the past, has been a safe haven for every woman seeking to live safely and achieve freedom from the fear that accompanies her because of the presence of men in her life.

Nowadays, the women of this village have become a popular tourist destination in Nigeria, with many visitors wanting to understand the lives of women without the presence of men. Visitors seek to discover how they succeeded in establishing their own system and how they succeeded in implementing small projects that help them secure their daily life requirements and care for their children who live with them in the same community.

Umoja was founded to escape assault and rape

Umoja Village was founded in 1990 by Nigerian woman Rebecca Lolosoli. The idea arose after Rebecca and a group of 15 women managed to survive sexual assault by British soldiers in the Samburu tribe where they lived. They decided to look for a safe shelter away from the men.

This move reflected the plight of Rebecca, who was beaten and assaulted by tribesmen due to the assault she had suffered from British soldiers. During her treatment in the hospital, she came up with the idea of creating a new community for women that would be safe and away from the challenges they might face from men.

Umoja has become a shelter for women seeking protection from abusive husbands, attempted rape and the Samburu's widespread practice of female genital mutilation. Women live in this small village without men, where they carry out various activities such as raising livestock and poultry, making traditional jewelry and decor, and selling them to visitors.

According to a report published by The Guardian, Jane, 38, who lives in Umoja village, reveals her tragic experience where she was brutally sexually assaulted by three unknown men while she was tending to her husband’s goats and sheep and carrying firewood.

Jane felt ashamed and afraid to talk about this experience, especially with the constant questions from others about the cause of her severe injuries and the difficult psychological state she suffers from. Jane expresses her suffering by saying: “When I told my husband about the assault I was subjected to, he attacked me with a stick, so I decided to run away and live in this village with my children.”

Today, Jane is one of the women who work in livestock and live in peace, with about 45 other women and about 200 children, and no men.

Life in Umoja village

The area of Umoja, where men are prohibited from entering, may not be large, but it is ideal for the women who have chosen to lead this place, under the supervision of Rebecca Lolosoli, the chief who sets the rules in this village.

The boundaries of Umoja village land are defined by a fence made of thorns, and are guarded by three men appointed by the villagers to protect them from assault attempts that come from men who do not accept the idea of allocating a place for women outside of their control.

When you enter Umoja, you will find a group of women wearing bright clothes that reflect the culture of the region. Some of them sell handmade jewelry on mats, while others work in raising livestock, and there is another group that takes care of children.

Facilities within this village, which has become a popular tourist destination, include a private school for educating children, a health center and educational handicraft workshops.

In addition, some women sometimes organize workshops for women living in their indigenous tribe, with the aim of educating them about their rights and discussing important issues such as circumcision, which leads to genital mutilation, as well as issues of domestic violence and early marriage.

Umoja village changes rules

During 2020, women living in Umoja village applied to register the land they live on in their name, with the aim of ensuring their legal right to live there without any threat of eviction. The request was granted, and this is the first time that women in the Nigerian Samburu tribe have the right to obtain their own land, after this was prohibited by the prevailing male laws.

The tribe previously imposed laws ensuring that young girls could marry older men in exchange for money or herds of cows, based on an agreement between fathers. In the event of pregnancy, they were obliged to keep the child, even when they were very young, as they were as young as 15 when they had to raise their children and work the land to help their husbands.

Today, this village has changed all these laws, and women are now living the way that suits them. Nagosi, a middle-aged woman with five children, points out that she "learned how to do things that were traditionally forbidden for women to do. It allows me to earn my own money, and when tourists buy some jewelry from me, I feel proud."

Source: shafaq