Launch of Ogiek women’s empowerment project

The FSC Indigenous Foundation and Ogiek Peoples Development Program support a journey to Indigenous women’s socio-economic transformation.

FSC-IF

Nakuru, Kenya – On April 8, 2024, the FSC Indigenous Foundation and Ogiek Peoples Development Program launch a joint project, “Promoting Socio-Economic Empowerment among Ogiek Women of Mau, Kenya.” This project is part of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD), a five-year program implemented by the FSC-IF and funded by USAID, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and private sector partners.

This event, that took place at the Ole Ken Hotel, Nakuru, marked the beginning of a transformative journey towards empowering Ogiek women, addressing their unique challenges, and fostering sustainable socio-economic development in the Mau regions of Kenya.

Participants included representatives from local government, Women Enterprise Fund, Microfinance Institutions, FSC-IF, County Executive Committee (CEC), media, and Ogiek community members.

After opening words by the Executive Director of the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP) Daniel Kobei, participants listened to keynote addresses from FSC-IF Africa Regional Director Salina Sanou and representatives from the Gender Departments of Narok and Nakuru Counties.

Daniel Kobei emphasized the need to work with county and national governments in Kenya and that the women’s agenda is not only an agenda of NGOs but for everybody.

“The project is also a way of championing for the rights of Ogiek People because one cannot champion for rights without food and being economically empowered.”
Daniel Kobei

“FSC-IF is committed to Indigenous women because they are pillars of our communities. Women are custodians of knowledge and culture.”
Salina Sanou

A panel discussion followed on challenges faced by Ogiek women and opportunities for collaboration with the participation of representatives of the Nakuru County Gender Department, Narok County Gender Department, Women Enterprise Fund, and a microfinance institution.

The project launch was officially opened by Josephine Achieng, County Executive Committee Member of Youth, Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services, Nakuru County. “OPDP is taking the right trajectory of empowering women,” she said.

“We need to have women represented in all spheres of life politically, economically, and socially,” said Eunice Chepkemoi, Gender and Youth Officer at OPDP.

Participants broke into groups to explore specific areas of engagement and opportunities during project implementation. The Gender Department of Narok County noted that OPDP is now a member of the Gender Sector Working Group of Narok County.

Women from the Ogiek community emphasized that the project is bringing them hope.

“When a woman is empowered, the whole community is empowered.”
Ogiek woman representative

Ogiek women of Kenya

The Ogiek People face persistent challenges. Decades of forceful evictions from their ancestral lands have led to discrimination, marginalization, and oppression, resulting in low participation in development issues. Ogiek women, in particular, grapple with poverty, illiteracy, and limited access to economic opportunities. The lack of representation in the political arena further exacerbates their plight, hindering their ability to address these issues effectively.

Despite these challenges, many Ogiek women have formed women’s groups and engage in economic activities, for example, savings cooperatives, tree nurseries, livestock raising, and beekeeping. These groups could benefit from additional support and opportunities to catalyze sustainable development for their communities.

Transformation to economic empowerment

By providing Ogiek women with the necessary training and support, the FSC-IF and OPDP aim to support them to become self-reliant and economically independent.

Our joint project, “Promoting Socio-Economic Empowerment among Ogiek Women of Mau, Kenya” is a training initiative and open call for proposals from women’s groups to receive financial support.

The training initiative will equip Ogiek women with the essential skills and knowledge to engage in sustainable income-generating activities. It will also foster leadership skills among the participants, particularly the chair ladies, secretaries, and treasurers, to understand their roles and responsibilities, enabling them to guide and mentor their members within the groups.

Through the initiative, we will catalyze sustainable socio-economic development among the trainees, leading to improved livelihoods and enhanced community resilience. This will contribute to their well-being and promote inclusivity, gender equality, and community prosperity.

In parallel, Ogiek women groups across six counties of Kenya will submit proposals to apply for limited funds to support them in establishing small-scale income-generating activities. The project will support twelve sustainable projects that benefit community resilience.

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The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) is a global Indigenous organization with a mission, values, and actions driven by, for, and with Indigenous Peoples. It was established in 2019 by the FSC and the FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC). We serve as a global strategic, technical, operational, and financial entity led by Indigenous Peoples, supporting their self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance through Indigenous-based solutions, multi-sectoral partnerships, and funding. Our mission is to elevate Indigenous Peoples in their contribution to the protection of Mother Earth and recognize them as providers of solutions and partners to fight against global challenges. We envision a future where Indigenous-led solutions and actions, generated within one-quarter of the planet, safeguard the future of everyone and Mother Earth.

The Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP) is a Kenya-based organization founded in 1999 and registered by the Kenyan Government as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in 2001. It was formed by Ogiek elders, opinion leaders, farmers, and professionals after long land historical injustices that deprived Ogiek community of their rights as Kenyan citizens. OPDP’s work is centered on promoting the recognition and identity of Indigenous Peoples’ culture, the participation and inclusion of the communities in all sectors of development, championing for land rights, ensuring environmental protection, and overall sustainable development. OPDP has its headquarters in Nakuru town, Nakuru County, and operates nationally.

Ceremony to celebrate business mentoring program between Indigenous company Guna Ogob and Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo Hotel

The FSC Indigenous Foundation facilitated this collaboration to foster partnerships, knowledge exchange, and economic development with culture and identity.

FSC-IF

Panama City, Panama – On February 29, 2024, members of the Indigenous community business Guna Ogob and volunteers from the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo Hotel received certificates after having completed a business mentoring program together.

This innovative partnership connected members of the company Guna Ogob with professional hotel staff, who exchanged knowledge and offered mentoring in sales, marketing, accounting, talent, and culture over 6 months. Volunteers learned how to provide support to Indigenous Peoples on these topics, and Guna Ogob members strengthened business skills. The program also identified challenges and opportunities for business partnerships between the private sector and an Indigenous business.

Guna Ogob is an Indigenous community coconut oil business located on Mamitupu island in the comarca Gunayala in the northeast of Panama. It was founded in 1997 by Pablo Nieto Pérez and has grown despite challenges of lack of registration and access to markets. Today, youth from the community are leading the development of the company, harmonizing a modern vision with Indigenous ancestral knowledge.

Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo is a hotel with a unique location, where wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean can be appreciated. With a commitment to a social impact program, the hotel’s professional staff has participated in a knowledge exchange with Guna Ogob and is working to strengthen this Indigenous enterprise and its design and brand.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) is a global Indigenous organization supporting Indigenous Peoples’ self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance through Indigenous-based solutions, multi-sectoral partnerships, and funding. Through the Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program, we have been working with Guna Ogob, fostering strategic partnerships between the Guna People and stakeholders, including government and the private sector. We have supported training in entrepreneurial and business skills, and the co-development of a strategic and business plan.

The collaboration with Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo is one of these initiatives that demonstrates the success of shared value partnership management: while Guna Ogob has been able to learn new skills and organizational cultures, Sofitel volunteers have been able to identify talent, learn about Indigenous ways of doing business, and exchange cultural knowledge.

Closing ceremony

The presentation of certificates took place at the Sofitel Legend, located in Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama. The ceremony began with a tour of the hotel and words from the Director of the Hotel, David Kianni. “We are dedicated to our commitment to continue to co-create initiatives that support cultural heritage,” he said.

The FSC-IF Lead on Business Partnerships and Indigenous Economies, Fredy Duque said, “With these people here present, we are confident that we are contributing to the dream that Guna Ogob has of being able to move forward, not only in terms of the consolidation of a company, but also to continue sharing its cultural legacy.”

Next, the Manager of Guna Ogob, Gabriel Garrido, and the Founder of the company, Pablo Nieto Pérez, gave remarks.

“This is the first time I see another company that is working with us, and that’s going to be part of the story that we always tell,” said Gabriel Garrido.

Igupdili Morris, in charge of sales of Guna Ogob, emphasized the importance of working together. “If one falls down, we have to stand together and get up,” she said.

The event concluded with a presentation by the hotel chef of products made with Guna Ogob coconut oil. Participants discussed the partnership and how it will help both companies in the future. The collaboration will continue with support on logo and branding.

Babbel partners with the FSC Indigenous Foundation to facilitate English language learning with Indigenous Peoples

Language is a tool that empowers and promotes participation in crucial global discussions.

FSC-IF

Panama / Berlin, November 14, 2023 – The FSC Indigenous Foundation, a global Indigenous organization working with and for Indigenous Peoples worldwide, and Babbel, the world’s leading language learning platform, announce a partnership to offer English lessons to Indigenous Peoples around the world.

Babbel will support Indigenous Peoples with the self-paced learning app as well as its live classes with teachers to learn English, so they can actively participate in international events and meetings, and get access to more opportunities for the benefit of their communities and the planet. English will make it easier for them to find information on activities that improve their lives and territories.

Babbel’s purpose is to create mutual understanding through language. In addition to providing a platform for millions of learners who want to learn new languages and get to know cultures, the company is committed to making a positive impact on the world, reducing the environmental footprint and fostering diversity, inclusion and equality.

“For the Indigenous population, English is a language that we must master to have better communication and promote our agenda, this strengthens the economy in tourism, environmental management and all issues related to international cooperation,” said Florita Martínez, a Bribri Indigenous leader from Costa Rica and member of the Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT).

“This would be a very fundamental initiative for the Ipeti Embera Artisan Women’s Association to improve communication with visitors and strategic allies,” said Omayra Casama, President of the Ipeti Embera Artisan Women’s Association (AMARIE), an Indigenous women’s organization in Panama.

With nearly two billion speakers worldwide, English is the official language of 55 countries and is spoken widely in over 100. These numbers are growing. It is predicted that by 2050, half the world will speak English. Indigenous Peoples should be included in this worldwide trend as their perspectives and knowledge are crucial in important global discussions from climate change to business, tourism, and culture.

“I think that the English language is dominating the world, we have to prepare ourselves as Indigenous Peoples and also prepare the youth to continue defending our territories,” said Briceida Inglesias, wise woman of the Guna people, Panama, and member of the Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT).

Babbel is supporting the FSC Indigenous Foundation, as a partner in the Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program, in strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ English skills by granting licenses to leaders and youth around the world who wish to learn with Babbel’s ecosystem and live classes (Babbel Live). IPARD is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and other private sector partners.

“At Babbel, we believe that language shouldn’t be a barrier, but a bridge to connect people around the world. Our goal is to make language learning easy, effective and flexible, so businesses and organizations can communicate better with international clients and partners, and thrive in the global market. We’re here to support people in breaking down language barriers and achieving success in our interconnected world. That’s why I’m very excited to start this collaboration with the FSC Indigenous Foundation”, commented Cristian Silva, responsible for this partnership at Babbel.

We will soon share information about the application process for English lessons.

About Babbel

Babbel develops and operates an ecosystem of interconnected online language learning experiences and is driven by the purpose of creating mutual understanding through language. This means building products that help people connect and communicate across cultures. The Babbel App, Babbel Live, Babbel Podcasts and Babbel for Business products focus on using a new language in the real world, in real situations, with real people. And it works: Studies by linguists from institutions such as Michigan State University, Yale University and the City University of New York demonstrated the efficacy of Babbel’s language learning methods.

The key is a blend of humanity and technology. Babbel offers more than 60,000 lessons across 14 languages, hand-crafted by 200 didactics experts, with user behaviors continuously analyzed to shape and tweak the learner experience. This results in constantly adapting, interactive content with live classes, games, podcasts, and videos that make understanding a new language easy, from Spanish to Indonesian.

Because Babbel is for everyone, its team is as diverse as its content. From its headquarters in Berlin and its U.S. office in New York, 1,000 people from more than 75 nationalities represent the backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives that make all humans unique. Babbel sold over 10 million subscriptions by creating a true connection with users

More information: www.babbel.com

About the FSC Indigenous Foundation

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is a global Indigenous organization with a mission, values, and actions driven by, for, and with Indigenous Peoples. We work to elevate Indigenous Peoples in their contribution to the protection of Mother Earth and recognize them as providers of solutions and partners to fight against global challenges. 

We envision a future where Indigenous-led solutions and actions, generated within one-quarter of the planet, safeguard the future of everyone and our planet. To reach this goal, we support Indigenous Peoples’ self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance through Indigenous-based solutions, multi-sectoral partnerships, and funding.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is committed to capacity development for Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders. We know that development, leadership, management, technical, and negotiation skills are key to building capacities to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, territories, and livelihoods. Developing skills and capacities is essential when working with Indigenous Peoples, as this will allow them to negotiate, participate, and influence decision-making process on their own conditions.

More information: www.fscindigenousfoundation.org/

Contact:

fsc.if@fsc.org

press@babbel.com

International STEM Day: Indigenous wisdom and technology

We spoke with the Indigenous student who hopes to merge technology with ancestral wisdom.

FSC-IF

To celebrate International Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Day, we share the story of América Anayelli Olguín, a young Indigenous woman from Zacatlán, Mexico who will soon begin a postgraduate degree in Geographic Information and Science Systems, with the support of the FSC Indigenous Foundation through its IPARD program. America will study for a postgraduate degree at UNIGIS Latin America, in Geographic Information Systems, tools that allow capturing, storing, analyzing and visualizing geospatial data to make location-based decisions. This program has a high content related to the STEM educational approach that addresses the integration of knowledge through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. America’s goal is to apply geographic analysis for territorial development, agriculture, and environmental conservation in Indigenous territories.

In recent years, America has focused her work on documentation in defense of her territory and the dissemination of culture through social networks. Currently, she collaborates with the Union of Ejidos of the Sierra Norte de Puebla, where she supports local communities in the sustainable and legal use of their forests, and in their internal organizational processes. In addition, he is part of the network of communicators of the MOCAF Network and the youth movement of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests. She is also an active member of the Regional Collective in Defense of Forests and Territory of the Sierra Norte de Puebla. Her contributions will have a significant impact, including the development of Land Management Plans and participatory rural assessments in support of forest communities in her region. Find out more about how Indigenous ancestral wisdom is combined with science for the benefit of communities in this interview.

What motivated your interest in this course to learn about GIS?

Given the area in which I have worked in recent years, in supporting local communities in their timber harvesting, I have discovered the great work that the communities of the region have done in the preservation and restoration of the environment, something that unfortunately is not recognized by the general population, which in many cases is usually from ignorance of the activities and benefits that community forestry brings. So I want to promote a dissemination campaign on this issue that will consist of presenting materials with geographic information that is easy to understand for everyone but contains truthful information and adequately expresses the message. I believe that when the population knows and understands its region, with all its characteristics, a first step is taken to defend the territory. Having the skills to process information with Geographic Information Systems can be a powerful tool to strengthen and support the process that communities carry out for this objective that we have in common in the Sierra Norte de Puebla.

What will you learn in the course?

The course will be both broad and complex; the topics that are of most interest to me are geographic analysis and how we can relate it to issues such as territorial development, agriculture, and the environment because they are day-to-day issues in my family and community.

How will you apply this knowledge in your community and beyond?

One of my goals is to disseminate what the forest communities of the Sierra Norte de Puebla are doing, so I hope to be able to apply my knowledge to support the communities in planning their development, for example with the development of Land Management Plans or Participatory Rural Appraisals; also to support them in obtaining financing or capacity building projects before Mexican government agencies, since it is increasingly complex for forest owners to access these supports.

How will you share the knowledge gained with the communities?

One way to support the communities is to give them the tools so that they can promote their projects and raise their voices. I can share the knowledge through the Mexican Network of Peasant Forestry Organizations (REDMOCAF) because, given the reach they have, we can promote projects for trainings with young people from all over the country who are members of the organizations that belong to the network.

Why do you think it is important for Indigenous Peoples to work in science and technology?

Bringing technology and traditions together can have many benefits, the first being the documentation of these traditions and an approach for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to monitor how their territory is developing and trending towards change.

How can GIS help Indigenous communities?

It helps to manage the resources we have which, with inherited knowledge, creates impact in the fight for the environment and climate change.

GIS are tools that allow us to chart a path to a future. With geographic information, we trace a legacy in maps, but also in culture and resilience. They also help us protect our lands and prepare for the natural challenges that life presents us because we are custodians of our home.

Do you have any other messages you would like to share?

GIS gives us the power to chart our own destiny, it gives us the ability to plan, build, and care so that future generations will inherit a world enriched by our traditions.

With the support of GIS, our voices are louder, and our decisions clearer. Together, we forge a future that protects the legacy we will leave to our descendants.

In short, GIS is a powerful tool that lights the way to firmly defend our territory and heritage in the Sierra Norte de Puebla. The knowledge you acquire in this course will be the foundation with which we will protect our land.

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