By BONIFACE MULU
The Kitui Women In Development (KWID) has marked this year’s International Women’s Day earlier.
The organisation marked the day on Friday, March 4, 2022 at the Makutano Primary School in Kitui Central District of Kitui County where it had organised it partnership with the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness for Women (CREAW), the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), the Global Affairs Canada and the Care.
The International Women’s Day is marked globally on March 8 every year. Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day. It is angled around climate change adaptation, mitigation and response, as well as conversations on breaking the bias.
About 600 tree seedlings donated by the KEFRI were planted at the learning institution during the event. And the event’s organisers educated the school’s pupils on gender based violence (GBV).
There are many things that bring the GBV among them the emotional violence, sexual violence, hatred, economic violence, corruption and tribalism. In her speech, the KWID Director Faith Kiema disclosed that they started the organisation in 2017.
She said that they strive to create a future where the women will become self-sustaining. And she added that they seek to continue their role as the social economic change driving force.
The organisation is to expand an all-inclusive, competitive and prosperous county by eliminating the discrimination against the women in their lives, according to Kiema.
The women’s leader further said they are promoting the women’s participation in the decision making processes that affect their lives and amplifying their voices. “We do advocacy against the GBV, promote and advocate for the gender equality through women empowerment,” she said.
The director said that the KWID ensures the food security for all. “The organisation promotes and encourages peace and national cohesion,” Kiema further said. And she also said that they create awareness and advocacy on good health and nutrition.
She said that they contribute in the achievement of the Kenya’s Vision 2030 and development goals. “There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the world, but we the KWID are striving to implement eight of them. We can’t implement all of them,” she said.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals or the Global Goals were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
Kiema talked out about the climate change and environment issues where she said the KWID works out towards the environmental conservation. “That is why we partner with the KEFRI. They (the KEFRI) have supported us with the tree seedlings,” the women’s leader said.
She asked the Makutano Primary School’s community to take care of the trees planted at the institution during the event.
Kiema had been accompanied by her deputy Teresia Wambui and the organisation’s Finance Officer Janet K. Mulwa among other officials from her office. And on his part, Mr. Bernard Kimani Kigwa, an official from the KEFRI Kitui Regional Research Centre, said that they the KEFRI have planted plenty of trees in several learning institutions in Kitui County and Kenya in general. “Trees are very important for all the creatures on Earth,” the expert said.
He educated the participants on various tree species-both indigenous and exotic. He said the different climatic regions have the different kinds of trees and plants.
The world is home to more than 60,000 different tree species, according to the experts. Kigwa had represented the Centre Director, Dr. Albert M. Luvanda at the function. The Makutano Primary School’s head teacher, Mr. Martin Musyoka also addressed the occasion among others.