A lawyer and environmentalist, Njeri Makeria has given her heart to pushing the case for poor women in developing nations, writes CATHY OCHUNG.

It is hard to tell from Njeri Makeria’s soft-spoken demeanour her level of education and achievements in her field of study. Recently when she travelled to Kenya, she was reserved unlike many lawyers of her standing. She was among a delegation of nine women professionals and leaders from Georgia, USA, where she has lived for the better part of her adult life. It is not until you engage in a conversation with Njeri, a faculty member at the University of Georgia, where she holds the title of African Program Specialist, that you begin to separate her from the rather drawn back person she comes across as at first sight.

Njeri left the country for the USA way back in 1983 after attaining her Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nairobi. While there, she pursued her doctorate of Law degree from the University of Florida in Greensville, and a Masters degree in Environment studies from Canada.

She had a brief stint thereafter, between 1993 and 1995, as a lecturer at Kenyatta University before she left on a Ford Foundation scholarship.

meticulous

A year later, she got married to an American who is a professor of West African history. They have two children. She started off at Georgia University at the International centre for Democratic Governance in the year 2002.

She is slow to speak, which she does with meticulous detail and is imposingly plain even in her manner of dressing. Amidst her busy schedule that was divided between leisure and visiting targeted remote areas in the country — and all squeezed to fit in a week — she managed to find time to talk about her visit.

Njeri Makeria with the delegates during a photo session.

Her delegation’s visit was in conjunction with a local based women organisation, Reto Women Association, whose members are drawn from women who identify with the Maa speaking people and who are affiliated with them through marriage. It was founded in 1986 and has since been involved in initiating and implementing effective strategies for development for the Maasai. Over the years the organisation has striven to create a forum where skills and experiences are exchanged by Maasai women and the larger Maasai community. One of the organisation’s sole purpose, which is to expand the Maa women’s education and entrepreneurship skills is being realised thanks to Njeri and her delegation. A year ago, Njeri whose title at Georgia holds her responsible for developing partnership with African institutions applied for a US grant to initiate exchange visits by groups. "Reto qualified to beat other such groups as it has an organised structure," explains Njeri.

The underrepresented

She further explains that the grant called for women who are underrepresented in Africa and Reto qualified as one such group. The grant is a two-year programme that already saw a group of 14 women from Kajiado and Narok visit the US for a week earlier this year.

"It was a successful visit that was hosted by the University of Georgia where the women met various leaders including the mayor of Georgia and they made a presentation that was well received," she says.

As a follow up from the US visit, Njeri and her delegation were in the country to see the impact the visit had on the group. "From our visit and what we have witnessed, the change is overwhelming. We noticed that the women shared the things they learnt with the rest."

Among the core benefits from the visit to the US, the women were taught time management, small business development tips, having public openness, and how to manage resources among other things.

Reto women group.

The criteria used to select the women ensures that the women will impact those they left back. They must belong to a women organisation like Reto, and must be literate to comprehend the issues they are taught.

need for exposure

"They also must have a passion for working with other women and must have not travelled to the US before to qualify for the visit," she says. But most importantly, Njeri stresses that one significant qualification is "that of a woman who aspires to be a leader among the community".

According to Njeri, the aim is to provide exposure to those who are not already exposed. She is impressed to note that many communities in the country are not waiting for handouts from Western countries to set up small businesses, but are very innovative. "The exchange programme, therefore, is to enhance mutual learning and improve innovativeness among the women," she offers.

On a downhill point, she notes that many of the Maa speaking women make beads that do not fit the international standards. "Everyone is making beads and things out of beads but the target should be how to market them internationally; thus the visit," Njeri says. Another of the ways the university is of help to the women is linking them up with other ethnic jewellery makers and to diversify to other things like quilting, which also has market globally. Njeri draws her entrepreneurship skills from having taught world trade organisations and even government officials; she also teaches trade courses in China in partnership with other organisations. Besides, she works with students in other universities on environmental issues and women and law.

To think that she already does too much is to miss the point. Njeri has created time to run a refugee internship programme. "Here students monitor refugee children from African countries where by seven students are attached to mentor those immigrating from camps." She explains that it is difficult for even those professionals who come to the US to fit in let alone refugees because the systems are totally new, including education, the professional and entrepreneurial systems. The project works hand in hand with immigrants and community leaders who talk to them about various issues in order for them to be integrated smoothly into the system.

where they went

Apart from Kenya, the other African countries that the programme partners with are Liberia and Burkina Faso. Partnership and development plans with Uganda and Tanzania are underway.

During their visit to Kenya, the delegation visited and had sessions with various churches, up to five local women projects like Tania Integrated, a women run water-harvesting project in remote Kimuka in Kajiado, Maasai Aids Awareness Programme (MAAP) in Isinya, and the Kenya League of Women voters. With some women in the delegation having worked in the media in different capacities, they also visited the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) and the KWS on environmental issues.a