Four Maasai women went to India last December to attend the first conference in the country dedicated to the Marketplace Literacy
Four Maasai women - Esther Yohana, Flora Joel Mollel, Nashilu Mollel, Neema Godbless Laizer - involved in the Marketplace Literacy (MPL) program, which is part of our Investing in Maasai Women project, went to India last December. Accompanied by some members of the project staff - Francesca Lucchi, Esther Laly, Mary Birdy and Ramadhani Kupaza - between the 28th of December to the 4th of January, they participated in the first MPL country conference. The MPL is a methodology developed by the University of Illinois to offer illiterate people the tools they need to confront the formal economy. The meeting was organized to allow researchers, educators and students to understand the dynamics of markets in urban and rural contexts in communities near Chennai.
This moment of confrontation served as a real cultural exchange between Maasai and Indian women, which allowed them not only to learn more about economic dynamics but also to understand, through their shared experiences, the impact that certain factors and conditions have on their social position. Among these, poverty, socio-economic barriers, lack of political representation, literacy, and the respective cultural contexts.
A unique opportunity to effectively reflect on crucial issues that unite women from different countries, but who share similar conditions. This experience has also allowed women to strengthen their self-confidence, offering them ideas and knowledge to be employed also in their community.
The initiative is part of the Investing in Maasai Women project. Find out more!