Ibulliance: Quiet Change - Elevating Women in Kenya

Last month, in the Kalama and Sera Conservancies of northern Kenya, a group of women artisans gathered, not to craft the intricate beadwork they’re known for, but to grow in ways that can’t be measured in materials.

Supported by Ibu, these women stepped into a three-day workshop focused on leadership, reproductive health, and financial literacy. They learned about Rangelands SACCO—a savings and credit cooperative—and the power of saving. They practiced using their voices in new ways. For some, it was the first time they had been asked to consider themselves leaders.

They returned home informed, inspired, and profoundly changed, ready to lead from exactly where they are. This is at the heart of Ibu’s mission: to elevate women around the world to step into their power and create meaningful change, just as they are.

In the days leading up to our Waka Waka celebration earlier this spring, I spoke with Beatrice Lempaira, our 2025 Ibu Global Champion and a longtime advocate for women in pastoral communities. She shared stories from the field, about women who once stayed quiet now raising their voices, taking initiative, and making decisions for the first time. She said that was her favorite part about being involved in this work. 

Beatrice Lempaira with Kenyan artisans; Grace Hamilton with Beatrice and Hafsat Abiola at the Waka Waka.

We also connected over motherhood. She reminded me that the confidence we instill in our daughters early on shapes their path. And when women discover that confidence later in life, it can shift the entire trajectory of their families and communities.

At Ibu, we’re not only preserving heritage craft, we’re walking alongside women as they step into their voices, their choices, and their full possibility.

Your support is what makes moments like this possible. It’s what allows women to gather, to learn, to dream a little bigger. And it's what reminds me, every day, that change doesn’t always come in loud waves. It often begins quietly, woman by woman, voice by voice

With gratitude,
Grace Hamilton
Director of Mission Engagement