The Women of WildiZe™
Return to Africa
Story and photographs
by Eli Weiss
In the July 2000 issue of Colorado Women News,
just as we were heading back to KenyaCWN readers were introduced
to WildiZe™ Foundation, WildImages, and the wild women who
run them, Eli Weiss, Founder and Executive Director, and Beth Mundell,
Director of Operations and Executive Assistant. CWN requested a
follow up on the Kenyan journey, and just in case you missed the
July issue I’d like to refresh your memory.
We were in Kenya for ten days (rather than our
usual six weeks) to reconnect and disperse funds we’d raised
for groups in the culturally dynamic Northern Frontier District
(NFD).
Mother of the July CWN
issue cover girl
Eli’s main focus is African wildlife photography
and conservation; Beth’s is the non-profit arena, and people
and communities at risk. We are working towards publishing a photo-documentary
book entitled ‘Women and Wildlands’©. The book will
feature conversations and photographs of the individual communities
and women we meet in various countries of sub-saharan and sehellian
Africa We are connecting with women of nomadic tribal communities
to learn more about their roles within their communities, their
relationship to the wildlands and wildlife which they depend on,
or are at the mercy of, for survival and how this relates to currentand
future economic and conservation endeavors.
The NFD covers the northern two-thirds of the
country from the Rift Valley up to the Chalbi Desert, bordered by
Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Somalia. We had heard that Kenya was
suffering drought conditions and saw ample evidence of this as we
traveled throughout the NFD. The people and livestock were impacted
terribly and we could not help but feel their anguish. In spite
of this we still observed joy and carry fond memories of our journey.
We began our journey flying by charter from Nairobi
to Nanyki, and from there by bush plane into Turkanaland (aabout
thre times the size of Utah!). to the southeast shore of Lake Turkana.
Our destination was Loiyangalani- the Samburu word or "place
of many trees" and we landed at the tiny dirt airstrip after
a low fly-y to discourage any critters sleeping there. We met up
with our driver and guide and headed for the Oasis Lodge. Don't
let the name fool you. Yes, it is an oasis with a lodge and a pool,
but all things are relative. It's the ONLY lodge, and the pool is
so hot that water evaporating off your body makes the air feel cooler,
and our rooms would better be defined as enclosed heat
Loiyangalani is unique with regard to our project
in that several different tribal groups have learned to live and
work closely together. In our short visit we met with several groups-
the ElMosaretu, (the most traditional and
.
named for the mix of El Molo, Samburu, Rendille
and Turkana members), the El Molo Gurapau ( a unique community mix
of women and men), the Kifaru Women’s Group (the most modern
and youngest in terms of age range), and the Loiyangalani Health
Clinic staff (all two of them). For a group to gain governmental
registry, they must be organized, submit an outline of their goals
and objectives, and operate as a forum to construct solutions to
existing or growing problems.
The groups we meet with primarily discuss ways
to increase economic stability, AIDs education, medical care and
one of the most complicated issues- female circumcision, and equally
important, raising funds for children's school fees. To the western
world, these may seem like uncomplicated matters in our culture
of accessibility, proximity, wealth or welfare, choice, and public
school systems. But in a small community such as Loiyangalani (as
in most tribal and nomadic communities) these are areas of great
concern. The people are isolated by geography and distance from
any formal city center, lack of transportation, limited or no telephone/radio
communication, historical traditions with close knit community ties,
lack of a stable economy from the get-go, and a fee based school
system.
The government does not spend alot of time or
funding in these outlying communities as they are not typical ‘Kenya
Tourist Attractions’ and profits from the tourist industry
do not always help these culturally rich yet economically unstable
people of the NFD. When we spoke to them of the impacts development
and western culture has on their communities, many voiced the hardships
of a cash-based economy. They remember well the times that they
could sustain themselves and their livestock from the land around
them. No more - now they must find ways to create and implement
micro-enterprise. It is interesting that if you used those words
to them, many would not understand that micro-enterprise is what
they are accomplishing. But we do...and WE ( in the global sense)
can help.
Our limited time in Loiyangalani was an exhilarating
and exhausting day and half that felt more like a month. Saying
good-bye was poignant and bittersweet. Our hands were held through
the windows of our vehicle as we slowly drove away, sharing tears,
hugs and smiles.
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