In many rural areas of Kenya, patriarchal norms are deeply ingrained in Maasai culture. But thanks to Intrepid Foundation partner Patinaai Osim, founded by a woman determined to make a difference, positive change is spreading across generations.
The concept of the butterfly effect is based on the idea that everything is interconnected, and that small, seemingly insignificant movements (like the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings) can theoretically create huge changes (like a storm). This is the domino effect that Semerian Sankori hinted at in Kenya.
In 2010, Semerian founded Patinaai Osim, an organization that provides education, reproductive health care, and livelihood opportunities to women and children in rural Kenyan communities.
Since officially launching in 2019, they have reached out to hundreds of women, providing workshops, menstrual hygiene kits, and livelihood programs. Their latest pilot program, which has been hugely successful, provides training and sustainable employment to women in need. They have also recently helped renovate a school and provided over 30 scholarships to children who would otherwise not have access to education.
When I got on a video call with Semerian to talk about everything about Patinaai Osim, I knew there was a lot to cover. So I started from the beginning.
The beginning of something big
Semerian tells me about her childhood in a small Maasai village in rural Kenya. 'I was one of ten children,' she says with a laugh. 'I was the second child, so you can imagine how much responsibility I had growing up.'
She told me that both her parents were surprisingly educated, something that was almost unheard of in Maasai society in the early 1960s, especially for women.
She points out that her parents' unconventional parenting put Semerian and her siblings on a different trajectory than other children in the community because, like her parents, they were sent to school.
In the third grade, Semerian and her sister transferred to the boarding school her mother attended, about 120km away from her village. During this formative period, she got her first taste of life outside her small village. She explains that when she moved, the world seemed bigger, and somehow so did the problems that the Maasai women in her home village were facing.
'We will be back during ~. [school] 'I went on vacation and found out my cousins were getting married. Some were dropping out of school because they were pregnant,' she recalls. 'And it was normal. It was normal for men, including my uncle, to beat their wives.'
“The reason I do this is because of what I’ve seen not just in my family, but everywhere,” she said.
She speaks fondly of her mother, who was one of the few women of her generation who received an education, and of how strong and free-spirited she was. I couldn’t help but draw a connection between the women Semerian seeks to support and the maternal influence she had growing up.
'Has your mother played a role in inspiring your work?' I asked.
She answers without hesitation. 'Actually my mother – and this is one thing I want to make clear – my mother played a very important role in our lives and showed us that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. She taught us that we can be independent and do things for ourselves.'
determination to do more
Semerian founded Patinaai Osim as a holistic approach to community wellbeing, focusing on four pillars of change: education, sexual and reproductive health, environmental sustainability, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The critical issues facing Kenya’s rural communities—drought, loss of livelihoods, lack of education, women’s rights—are all interconnected in some way, as are the four pillars of Patinaai Osim. But as Semerian says, education is key.
Providing education and skills training to children and adults can lead to access to income, better sustainable agricultural practices, and better knowledge about their physical, mental, and reproductive health. Better educational opportunities can be the symbolic butterfly of rural communities, but there is one problem.
'The challenge right now is that the government has forgotten rural schools and rural learners, so the schools are not equipped,' Semerian explains. 'The schools here are in a very, very bad condition. None of the schools have libraries, no learning materials, especially modern learning materials like computers. Some schools do not have enough teachers, some schools do not have water. There are no fences. So you see sheep coming into the classrooms. Donkeys. So it is a big challenge. This environment is not good for the students or the teachers.'
'The local Intrepid team in Kenya volunteered to renovate three classrooms in a school in December,' she says.
'You should have seen the excitement when school opened in January. [the children] 'I came into a classroom with windows.' Semerian paused and smiled softly. 'There were no windows, no glass. [before]. So it wasn't the wind, it was just dust that came and got into their faces, their books, everything. Now they have windows and they have doors.'
Positive change across generations
Over the past 12 months, Semerian has created a pilot program focused on sustainable livelihoods. The successful program provides skills training to 15 Maasai women from Monday to Friday. They learn hard skills such as tailoring and sewing, and soft skills such as money management, mental health awareness, and communication.
She describes how the first cohort of women, aged 19 to 72, took part in the program and seized the opportunity to build a different future. Many of the women’s husbands had passed away, leaving them the sole breadwinners, running their families and farms. Others had to drop out of school early in their pregnancies. They all came to the pilot program to make a difference. They were determined to break the cycle of poverty and inequality for themselves and their families.
'The Intrepid Foundation started it for us. They gave us [sewing] “We used machines and renovated spaces that the community gave us,” she says. “We had 10 [sewing] 'Now it's a machine.'
She says it’s not just about providing these women with skills. Like everything at Patinaai Osim, the program takes a holistic approach. Participants are trained, encouraged to develop skills they already have (such as beadwork), and employed by Patinaai Osim to produce clothing and other crafts. It’s about fully supporting their success, helping them grow, and providing them with sustainable income and employment opportunities.
'We don't want to have cohort after cohort after cohort, because then you end up with 100 women who have skills but no jobs,' she says.
She decided to find a business opportunity that would provide women with sustainable jobs and a sense of purpose. So far, she has secured a contract to make handmade tote bags for Intrepid (which are given to every traveler on their African trip) and produce children’s uniforms for local schools.
'I'm very optimistic that this program will grow into something self-sustaining. The plan to become self-sustaining is one of them.'
Semerian said that since starting the program, the women have not only improved their sewing skills, but their confidence has also grown.
'Now they know how to talk to people. When you come, they are not shy. They talk to you, they speak their language, and then someone translates. And before, they would hardly look you in the eye,' she explains.
'You can see it in their children too. 'Their children are now in school, and they have little red bags that their mother made for them.' Semerian smiles, and I smile too.
She has grand plans to reach more people and wants to set up a center for 50 or more women to provide education, training and employment to each woman.
Semerian’s story highlights how positive change can create waves and impact the lives of many, just as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can create a storm. These women, with their little red backpacks on their shoulders, and their children are the next generation of that change.
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