The Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN) is an Indigenous, women and youth-led community organization based in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County, Kenya. We advocate for the fundamental human rights and self-determination of the Ogiek people, an Indigenous forest community whose ancestral home is the Mau Forest.

Our work centers on three pillars: Climate Justice, Food Sovereignty, and Cultural Preservation. We restore degraded forests, rivers, and farmland through agroforestry, planting thousands of trees and reviving traditional land practices. We promote sustainable, Indigenous farming methods — including a dedicated Indigenous Seed Bank — to secure food and nutrition for our community and protect the ancestral seeds that carry our heritage. We work to preserve the near-extinct Ogiek language and culture through education, documentation, and community storytelling. And we provide mental health support to survivors of displacement and forced evictions, helping our community heal and rebuild.

Today, KOWYN serves nearly 2,000 people, women, youth, elders, and children  across the Koibatek region. Through farm demonstrations, environmental education, and youth leadership training, we are equipping the next generation of Ogiek leaders to become powerful agents of change in their own communities and beyond.