Women Rise Initiative is expanding opportunities for Turkana women through Social Enterprise Education, helping them build skills, explore livelihoods and create sustainable businesses while ensuring host-community women are not left behind.
By: Roda Alamin | Columnist | WBN NEWS Africa | August 30, 2026
Friday 21st August marked more than a community gathering in Turkana. It opened a new conversation about possibility, dignity, opportunity and the future of women in the host community.
Women Rise Initiative, a women-led organization focused on empowering women and creating sustainable opportunities, held an awareness session with the support of Hon. Matthew Alany, MCA for Lake Turkana. The engagement introduced programs designed to strengthen women’s livelihoods and expand their access to practical economic opportunities.
Among the key programs presented was Social Enterprise Education, which encourages women to explore opportunities beyond traditional sources of income. The initiative seeks to equip participants with knowledge in entrepreneurship, financial management, market identification, product development and sustainable enterprise creation.
For some Turkana women, selling tobacco has been among the accessible income-generating activities. Women Rise Initiative is seeking to broaden the choices available to them by introducing practical skills that can open doors to alternative livelihoods and stronger household incomes.
During the session, women also raised concerns about unequal access to opportunities. They noted that refugee women in the area are increasingly gaining access to training in different businesses and skills, while many women from the host community have had fewer opportunities to receive similar education.
Their message was clear: “We also want to learn. We also want opportunities. We also want to rise.”
For Women Rise Initiative, empowerment should not be determined by a woman’s background or status. The organization’s vision is to ensure that both refugee and host-community women can access knowledge, skills and opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in their communities’ economic development.
The initiative is therefore about more than teaching women how to start businesses. It is about helping women move from simply asking what they can do to survive toward discovering what they can create to thrive.
The support of Hon. Matthew Alany also highlights the value of collaboration between community leadership and women-led organizations. Such partnerships can help transform awareness into practical action and, ultimately, lasting community impact.
As Women Rise Initiative continues its work, the hope is that more Turkana women will gain the confidence, knowledge and opportunities to learn, earn, lead and create.
Because when women rise together, families become stronger, communities gain resilience, and new possibilities emerge.
Women Rise Initiative: Every Woman Will Rise Again.
“When women rise together, communities become stronger.”
“When every woman is given the opportunity to rise, the whole community rises with her.”
Editor: Joseph James Udoh
WBN Global News Desk
📩 newsdesk@wbnn.news The advantage---
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