OPUK JA KINDA

 "Opuk Ja Kinda" is a Luo word directly translated to mean a hardworking Tortoise- meaning 'hope and hard work pays'. This cooperative movement draws its membership from women who are economically disempowered by the structural nature of the society. The group consists of women that are mostly unskilled housewives with poor literacy levels, widows, single parents and orphaned youths. The movement is currently hosted at the Abila Creative Arts premisis in Kisumu, where training sponsored by Voices and regular meetings are carried out. These meetings allow members to provide social support to one another, and rediscover other creative ways in which they can cope with the current economic downturn in Kenya. Gender inequality is still an issue that the Kisumu society continues to struggle with, leaving women marginalized, and left our of decision making processes, governance and social development matters.  This movement thus seeks to enable women to create alternate means of taking on development, which requires their involvement in the larger community.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Provide an environment that enables the vulnerbale women in Kajulu area of Kisumu to seek aletnative sources of income for personal and communal development.
2. To empower these women through capacity building trainings in crafts and jewelry making, as a mode of income generation.
3. To utilize available local resources to financially empower members and to provide supprt to various community projects for the economic advancement of members' children, spouses and families.
4. To ensure self-reliance of members while seeking alternative domestic and international markets for products.