Umoja - A Village Without Men

Source - Curly Tales

All around the world there are women that have been raped, abused or harassed. The women of a village named Umeja were faced with the same ill-fate. The poor souls lost their destination as their husbands showed no mercy upon them. Their lives became miserable. They lost faith in men, but a women taught them bravery and advised to live without a man.

All the affected women built a village together. The board stated that men had no access. Set up residencies and stood on their own feet. Even after all what they have done , the attacks and harassments against them did not stop, but they have and continue to face it all with vigor. 

They are Samburu Tribal women. They live in the village of Umoja Uso in Kenya. At present, it has gained prominence as a village without men.

The village is located in Samburu County of Kenya. 

Dozens of huts are built here by women and they reside here. The huts are built by using sticky soil, cow dung, and grass. Fences were setup around the hut. Currently there are about 50 women living in this village who always wear a traditional dress.

They live with their children. Girls can stay with them for the rest of their lives. Where as boys can grow up with their mothers until they are 18 years old. After 18 years, he has to leave the village and go somewhere else.

How did such a village originate? 

The village was formed over three decades ago. At that time male dominance was high among the Samburu tribe. Female were thought of as a mere child-bearing machines and slaves. Women have no rights or property of their own.

Forced marriages and domestic violence were very common. Samburu women continued their lives under extremely harsh conditions. However, an incident took another turn in their lives which led to the formation of the village.

More than 1400 women belonging to the Samburu tribe were raped by soldiers three decades ago. The victims were evicted from their homes by their husbands after being raped. Women in the tribe , on the other hand , continue to be attacked and harassed

Rebecca Lololi who belongs to the same tribe came up with the idea of setting up a village specifically for all such women. She was also a women who was tortured at the hands of her husband.

In 1990, Rebecca and 15 others built huts and built a town. Several homeless women were invited. Men were not allowed to enter the village . the whole town is cohesive. Hence they named this village as Umeja, which stands for Unity.

How do these women earn a living? 

They built their little homes that formed a small and cohesive village but what are earning the daily bread? 

Women who thought about how to make a living first bought vegetables in the market and sold them elsewhere. But they did not earn enough money to feed, cloth and sustain themselves and their kids. 

Then, they started making traditional items and jewelry and selling them to the tourists visiting Kenya. The Kenya Wildlife Safari recognized their artistry and lent them a helping hand, by purchasing the goods that they made. They are also receiving assistance from Kenya heritage and social service, the Kenyan ministry of culture.

The women of the Umeja village are stepping towards a bright future by eradicating poverty and patriarchy. Women who have been raped as well as women suffering from sexually transmitted diseases and HIV- infected orphans are also being sheltered in the village. 

Women are taxed 10 percent of their income and this taxable amount is being used to meet the management of the primary school in the village and other infrastructural, social and cultural activities. 

Threats faced by the village

Rebecca, who came up with the idea of setting up the village , is the president of the village. The women of the village seek the advice of Rebecca no matter how grave or trivial the matter at hand is. 

Rebecca’s reputation was further enhanced when she visited the united nations in 2005. This crushed the ego of the Samburu men in the neighboring villages. A case has been filed in the court to close Umeja village . but , the court dismissed it.

Rebecca's ex-husband attacked the village but was soon convicted of making threats and harassing women of the village. 

Now, things have started to look up for the women of Umeja. They are able to hold their heads high with the financial independence that they are exposed to. They are no longer the mere child-bearing machines or slaves, they are independent and brave women, who gathered the audacity to walk away from a miserable existence, to be able to live a better life, a life on their own terms. 

Written By - Keerthana Bharadwaj 

Edited By - Tushna Choksey