A Widows’ group from Mumias, Wadada Solidarity, has ventured into producing briquettes to make a living in order to take care of their families.
The group comprising 20 widows joined hands following challenges they faced in the community like stigma and lack of resources to support their children’s education.
Speaking to KNA, the Chairperson of the group Jamila Rashid says they normally meet every day at one of the homes and make briquettes using charcoal dust, sawdust and other wastes.
They produce about three bags daily which they sell at Sh 2300 per bag to local community members and nearby schools.
Jamila says that they also preserve some briquettes for their home use, reducing the costs of buying firewood.
She however noted that the demand for the briquettes is high especially with institutions of learning requesting for many bags that the group is unable to produce.
She therefore asked for support from the government and willing partners to provide them with a briquette making machine that would enable them to produce many bags to meet the huge local demand.
The group was formed after the widows were mobilized by the Women Pillar Alliance Organization(WOPA), a grassroots Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) that seeks to empower underprivileged women to be self-sustainable economically and socially.
The Director of WOPA, Violet Ombaka said the empowerment program has uplifted the widows who had fallen into the traps of continuous mourning and self-pity.
“They also receive training especially on their rights as widows and women to understand where they can seek help and support in case their rights are violated,” she noted.
Ombaka said WOPA has been supported by the Uraia Trust since 2019 to advance gender equality and women empowerment in Mumias and its environs.
“The community itself has been a strong pillar because we also depend on local resource mobilization to ensure that we are progressing well as WOPA towards our agenda which is to advance gender equality,” She added.
Ombaka noted that WOPA is continuing to form more women empowerment groups to ensure that women are empowered, become strong and are protected from any form of abuse or violence so that they can be proud of themselves while participating in nation building.
By Moses Wekesa
