Men have no access to Umoja. The village, which is located in Samburu County, is an oasis for women. Umoja means "connectedness" in Swahili; most of the 50 or so women living here are experiencing this feeling for the first time in their lives. They founded their village because they were abused by men. They fled from forced marriage or genital mutilation. They no longer wanted to accept that being a woman among the Samburu means having no choice. 

Because here, the man rules over the family. He owns the land, he eats first, he is allowed to marry several women and beat them. Rebecca Lolosoli was fed up with all this. She founded Umoja in 1990 with Jane Leng'ope. At the time, the two did not know whether they would survive on their own. Today, the village is a functioning cooperative.

The women's pride and joy is the Umoja school. Their greatest hope is the next generation: the children learn about their rights and that respect and solidarity are the most valuable social assets. Every year, Umoja also enables a handful of girls from outside the village to attend school. It's a barter deal: the child receives free lessons and food. In return, the father undertakes not to marry his daughter off early or to circumcise her. Both are officially forbidden in Kenya but are still practiced among the Samburu. Six-year-old Samella is to get the last spot in the school. But will her father agree to the conditions? 

 

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