In honor of March 8th being International Women’s Day, we at Adumu Impact Fund would like to recognize some of the amazing women that make our work possible. Get to know the two incredible women on our advisory team below!
Rufo Roba is a conservation enthusiast working with the Northern Rangelands Trust as the Tourism and Communication Officer. Her role is to drive community empowerment through tourism, BeadWORKS, and vocational training, with a view to build the foundation for self-reliance. As a professional in communications, project planning, and management, Roba is passionate about working with communities to shape their mindset, diversify their livelihoods, and contribute to sustainable development. Her focus is to gather information on community actions and share it with the world for Indigenous community voices to be heard, highlight experiences to inspire others, and influence policies. Roba was a Conservation International fellow from 2019-2020 and pursued research on the influence of women’s participation on the sustainability of a community conservation project implemented by Jaldesa Community Conservancy in Marsabit County, Kenya.
Maggie Reiya is the Director of Family, Gender, and Education at Nashulai, the first Maasai-owned Conservancy in the Maasai Mara. She says, “I was lucky to have a father who believed in education and the capacity and dignity of the girl child and all women. This has been my life’s work. Children need education and equality to thrive. It is a guiding principle for Nashulai. And the way our community has rallied on behalf of our beloved children is nothing short of amazing.” Nashulai has advanced opportunities for all children — including initiatives to reduce infant mortality, eliminate female circumcision and early marriage, create equal opportunity for access to education, and build local youth capacity and leadership. They have built two new schools within Nashulai as well as provided scholarships for 62 boys and girls from the community to attend secondary school and university.
We would also like to highlight the work of one of our partners – the Pastoral Women’s Council – which is a non-profit that works in northern Tanzania to empower Maasai women and girls. The Pastoral Women’s Council was founded in 1997 by Maanda Ngoitiko, who recognized that there was an urgent need for an organization led and managed by Maasai women that was dedicated to addressing their specific needs. The PWC’s programs focus on 3 key areas: education, economic empowerment, and rights & leadership. Some of their projects include expanding women’s access to loans, securing plots of land for women, and financially supporting the construction of new schools. If you are curious to learn more about their approach and initiatives, be sure to check out their website, and take some time to reflect on the important women in your life who are paving the way for change!