Kenya: A women-only village is a sisterhood of support
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OCHA staff member, Jane Kiiru, interviews Pauline Lekuroiya, one of the founders of Umoja village. Credit: OCHA/Joy Maingi by Jane Kiiru “I kept walking and walking, not knowing where I was going,” recalls Napaishai.* “All I knew is that I needed to get away from my husband, who continuously harassed me throughout our three-year marriage.” Napaishai was married at age 12 to her 40-year-old husband. Kenya’s drought aggravated an already tense situation for Napaishai. All the livestock that she and her husband owned died.

Drought in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) is causing an increase in gender-based violence, including intimate-partner violence. At least 4.35 million people are already going to bed hungry in the region, the UN says. And in 2023, 6.4 million people in the ASALs will need humanitarian assistance.