Elders Pass Down Climate Wisdom: Indigenous Climate Adaptation Training in Chemoson
Indigenous Climate Adaptation Training at Chemoson, bringing together members of the Kalyet Self Help Group, Kibarasoi Ogiek Youth Group, and Next Gen Ogiek Youth Group. The training reflects KOWYN’s continued commitment to placing Indigenous knowledge at the center of how communities respond to a changing climate.
In a time when climate change is reshaping seasons and livelihoods, this gathering turns to a source of wisdom that has guided the Ogiek community for generations: the knowledge of its elders.
Elders Sharing Traditional Wisdom
We are privileged to have Ogiek elders sharing their perspectives and traditional knowledge on Indigenous approaches to climate adaptation, helping younger generations learn from the wisdom and experiences of our elders.
For generations, the Ogiek community has relied on close observation of the forest, weather patterns, and natural cycles to guide decisions on farming, foraging, and resource use. This training creates a dedicated space for that knowledge to be spoken aloud, discussed, and passed on directly to the youth who will carry it forward.
When an elder describes how a certain tree flowering once signalled the coming rains, or how the forest told them when to plant, that is not folklore. It is science refined over centuries, and it deserves a place at the heart of climate adaptation.
Bringing Three Youth Groups Together
By bringing together members of the Kalyet Self Help Group, Kibarasoi Ogiek Youth Group, and Next Gen Ogiek Youth Group, the training also strengthens connections between young people from different parts of the community.
Learning together, and hearing the same teachings from the same elders, helps build a shared understanding of climate adaptation that these groups can carry into their own households and future initiatives. The relationships formed in a session like this often outlast the training itself, becoming the foundation for collaboration down the road.
Strengthening Knowledge Across Generations
Together, we are strengthening Indigenous knowledge, promoting climate resilience, and preserving our cultural heritage for future generations.
Pairing the lived experience of elders with the energy and reach of youth groups is central to how KOWYN approaches community resilience. Knowledge that stays only with the older generation risks being lost, but knowledge that is actively taught and practiced by the youth becomes a living resource for the whole community.
Why This Training Matters
Climate adaptation is not only a technical challenge. It is also a cultural one.
Indigenous knowledge systems carry practical solutions for coping with unpredictable rainfall, changing seasons, and shifting ecosystems, solutions that have been tested and refined over generations. By documenting and teaching this knowledge alongside newer approaches, KOWYN is helping ensure that Ogiek communities are equipped to adapt to climate change without losing the cultural practices that define their identity.
That balance, embracing new tools while honouring old wisdom, is what makes community-led adaptation both effective and enduring.