Umoja is an all-female village located in northern Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 near the town of Archers Post

Archers Post

Archers Post is a settlement in Kenya's Eastern Province....

 in Samburu District

Samburu District

Samburu District is a district in Rift Valley Province, Kenya. It covers an area of roughly 21,000 km² in northern Kenya where the Samburu tribe live...

, 380 km from the capital, Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

. It was founded by Rebecca Lolosoli, a Samburu

Samburu

The Samburu are a Nilotic people of north-central Kenya that are related to but distinct from the Maasai. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels. The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which may have a variety of...

 woman, for homeless survivors of gender-based violence, and young girls running from forced marriages. They run a cultural center and camping site for tourists visiting the adjacent Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve

The Samburu National Reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya; on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve in Northern Kenya. It is 165 km² in size and 350 kilometers from Nairobi and ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230m above sea level...

.

External links

• washingtonpost.com – A Place Where Women Rule July 9, 2005
• MADRE – Kenya: Umoja Uaso Women's Group