Women use netball to throw out conflict

BY WAMBUI NDUNG’U
In the heart of Isiolo town, a group of women are raising dust, both symbolically and literally.
On a hot Friday evening, the women chase after a ball in a lively game. Every so often, the coach, Grace Onyango, blows the whistle when there is foul play or a mistake.
The women are dressed in red T-shirts and blue wraparound skirts that each bought for sports. A group of school children gather to cheer them on. They divide themselves into two teams and members of one group tie a blue scarf around their heads for differentiation. 
Twice a week, they gather to play either netball or volleyball in the Catholic church compound.
In Isiolo, a town where clashes have left many displaced and made it impossible for some tribes to visit certain areas, the women of different ages are a beacon of hope. 
Once in the field, they forget their differences and this imagery is expected to show that their divergent skills and talent should unite them.
For the 25 women from different communities, sport is a way of   managing stress and to foster peace and harmony. 
Among them is 55-year-old Rukia Wamuyu, who looks as fit as a 30-year-old — or perhaps fitter than many of that age.  She plays with people half her age and keeps up with them at an amazing speed.
Age here is just a number. The young and old alike mingle freely for the love of the game. The coming together of these  women goes beyond physical activities. It is also an avenue for investment and support. 
Benta Pedita was 150 kilogrammes when she first joined the team. She was 25 years old and her health was a ticking time bomb. Two years later, she is 85 kilos and counting downwards.
The older women mentor the younger ones and give them life lessons. This comes at a time when Maendeleo ya Wanawake and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) have adopted a strategy to use women to restore peace in the region.
NCIC Commissioner Jane Kiano said that in a conflict, women and children suffer the most.
She was speaking at a meeting between the various communities in Isiolo recently.
The convenors of the peace talks first met the women from different communities separately before holding a joint gathering where they discussed issues facing their people.
“Women can convince their families to stop fighting and restore peace,” said Ms Kiano.
The chairperson of Maendeleo ya Wanawake, Rukia Subow says in the 1990s the women in Wajir were instrumental in restoring peace in the region.
She also calls on the Government to disarm those with weapons.
Besides fostering peace, the sports have proved to be a health benefit for the women.
Ms Wamuyu says physical activities have helped her keep diseases at bay. 
She says some of her friends joined the group suffering from diseases such as high blood pressure that have since become manageable.
“Women are expected to stay at home and take care of children and their husbands. We still do this well,” says Lucy Mworia, a women leader in Isiolo.
Ms Mworia says the women take care of each other. Every week, they contribute Sh50 for a merry-go-round.