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Selected Project:  

Kalacha Catholic Women's Group Northern Frontier District, Kenya

 
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Kalacha Catholic Women's Group

Photo Gallery of the Gabbra People of Kalacha, Kenya

Who are they: Kalacha Catholic Women's group was founded in 2000 with 30 members. They are a group of women brought together by their common religious beliefs in an area that is primarily Muslim or Christian. Their compound is in the village area of Kalacha next to the Catholic mission, however they are not associated nor assisted by the Mission. They have a small curio shop near to the Kalacha main tourist camp and to attract and discuss with tourists their goals and to raise funds.

What do they do: The women are all of the christian faith and their objectives are toward self improvement, empowerment,  helping orphan children by providing needed schools suppliess, visiting the sick are building shelther for the elderly.  They also perform traditional singing and dancing and make curios to raise funds toward group income and their goals. They provide small funding for needy children to attend school, and have a small plot of land where they grow food stocks, and provide help and care for the ill within the community at large. They are also interested in tree planting within their compound and care of the environment, and to empower their members toward healthier lifestyle and income generation.

How does WildiZe help them: small grants to accomplish prioritized goals discussed at site-visits. Currently the women are looking to build a well and provide a small generator.  The get their water from the Mission well, however the well is unsafe as it has no cover to prevent  waste from plugging the works, and to provide a safe area for children, women and pets to gather their water.

Results: This small group of women face incredible challenges living in this desert area and being of a different belief system. Over the years, since meeting them in 2000, they have accomplished the goals they set out,the one remaining is to provide the funding to build a well. They have accomplished building two rooms for visitors and NGO's operating in the area, and a classroom for children and adult education and teacher employemnt. They have successfully carried out cultural and social services within the community at large. Their group membership has grown to 45.



FAST FACTS:

The Gabbra are known as the Camel Nomads of Northern Kenya. The best book written about them is "The Gabbra" by Fr. Paul Tablino

The Gabbra have been influenced through histroy by Muslim practices, have adopted the Borana language, have accepted certain aspects of western technology and culture, have been incorporated into the Kenyan state, some have converted to Christianity or Islam.. however the Gabbra continue to be essentially... Gabbra (exceprt: Fr Toblino)

Kalacha Dida is a small Gabbra oasis settlement in the Chalbi Desert, between North and South Horr and west of Marsabit. Kalacha Camp is the main tourist banda run by the local community groups and started up by Jamie Roberts of Tropic Air Charter flights.

From Loiyangalani it is a half day's drive to Kalacha either up through Marsabit and then down from North Horr, or over to South Horr and then across the desert up into the Kalacha oasis

More information about the people and the area...