Mirriam, chairlady of the Sokotei Women Group in Baringo County, has emerged as a powerful grassroots leader in a community long affected by banditry and displacement. Her leadership is rooted in lived experience, shaped by repeated waves of violence in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2024, and 2025, years that left deep scars on families and livelihoods.
Her story is deeply personal.
“They shot my brother inside my own house,” Mirriam recalls quietly. “That day changed everything for me.”
The house she had proudly built, a modern structure with glass windows, became a source of danger during the attack, exposing her family to gunfire. In the aftermath, Mirriam made difficult but practical changes to survive. She removed the windows and sealed the walls, leaving only small openings for light. Alongside it, she constructed a traditional mud-and-thatch house.
“The mud house is safer,” she explains. “When there is shooting, that is where we run. It can absorb the bullets.”
Following repeated attacks and displacement, Mirriam found herself in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, surrounded by other women who had lost husbands, homes, and stability. Recognizing their shared struggle, she mobilized them to form the Sokotei Women Group, now comprising 32 women.
“We were all hurting,” she says. “Many of us were widows. We had nothing, but we had each other.”
The group was born out of grief but quickly evolved into a platform for healing and resilience. Many members had experienced multiple displacements, not only from violence but also from the rising waters of Lake Baringo, which further compounded their vulnerability.
To cope with trauma, the women turned to cultural expression.
“When we sing and dance, we forget our pain, even if it is just for a while,” says one group member. “It brings us back together.”
What began as informal psychosocial support grew into a structured cultural dance group. Today, they perform at weddings and community events, earning income while preserving their cultural identity. With uniforms and traditional ornaments, they have transformed their heritage into both a source of dignity and livelihood.
Financial empowerment has also been central to their resilience. The group established a savings and loans scheme, enabling members to access small loans and rebuild their lives.
“Before, I could not even afford basic needs,” another member shares. “Now I can borrow, start something small, and repay. It gives me hope.”
Their efforts have been further strengthened by support from ActionAid through the Africa Women Voices for Peace Project, they gained profit of Kes 80,296 (886 AUD). These assets are rented out during community events, generating additional income and strengthening the group’s internal lending system.
“The tents have changed our group,” Mirriam notes. “They bring income that helps all of us move forward.”
Through her leadership, Mirriam has fostered not only economic resilience but also solidarity, agency, and collective action among women in a highly insecure environment. The Sokotei Women Group is now taking steps toward formal registration as a Community-Based Organization (CBO), with the aim of expanding partnerships and accessing more sustainable support.
“We started with nothing,” Mirriam reflects. “Now we are building something for ourselves, and for the future of our children.”
Author:Rulia Nelline, Project Officer for Africa Women Voices for Peace Project. Edited by: Ezra Kiriago ,Communications Coordinator ActionAid Kenya