For the Ogiek people, land is not merely an asset—it is the bedrock of our culture, our identity, and our survival. At the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), we recognize that the struggle for land tenure security is the most critical issue facing our people today. On June 26, 2026, we took a monumental step forward by hosting […]
Eldama Ravine, Kenya – June 26, 2025 – The Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), with the generous support of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), hosted a powerful stakeholder engagement focusing on Land Tenure Rights in Eldama Ravine. This vital gathering brought together a diverse group of partners, government representatives, legal experts, and members of the Ogiek Community to […]
At the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), we recognize that individual action is the seed of change, but collective action is the forest that sustains it. Yesterday, our team participated in a powerful roundtable meeting with the Indigenous Women Council – Kenya, marking a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to advocating for the rights of Indigenous women […]
At the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), we believe that the seeds we sow today dictate the resilience of our community tomorrow. June 15th marked a truly momentous occasion for the Ogiek people in Eldama Ravine as we officially commissioned a brand-new Indigenous Seed Bank at Mlango Moja—a space dedicated to the women who have served as the […]
Eldama Ravine, Kenya – July 10, 2025 – Today marked a truly momentous occasion for the Ogiek community in Eldama Ravine! The Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN) proudly commissioned a brand new Indigenous Seed Bank specifically for Ogiek women at Mlango Moja. This vital initiative is set to empower Ogiek women, who are the custodians of invaluable traditional […]
At the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), we believe that the most effective way to protect our future is by honoring our past. We are thrilled to share a major milestone in our mission to revive traditional Ogiek practices: the successful installation of five modern Top-Bar beehives by the Masaita Ogiek Youth Group. This project, which began with […]
At the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN), we operate on a simple but profound truth: the health of our forests is inextricably linked to the well-being of our people. As Indigenous custodians of our ancestral lands in Koibatek, Baringo County, we hold a deep, ancestral understanding of the forest’s rhythms—and we know when those rhythms are out of […]