A Kenyan woman from Kitui County awed hundreds in New York after her moving presentation on how technology has uplifted rural women in their farming projects.
Ms Angelina Francis is among women campaigners and activists’ attending the 62nd session of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN headquarters.
She told of a tale unbelievable to many on how she succeeded in maize and tomato farming in her three-acre farm all thanks to technology.
In her account as told by Daily Nation, Francis while addressing the audience at the Armenian Convention Centre’s Guild Hall noted that she no longer deals with middlemen who would oppress her with low costs for her goods.
“All my hard work would go to waste when middlemen buy the produce at a throw away price,” she recounted.
“I am proud to stand here in New York to address the CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) because of technology, despite my lack of education while I have left behind those with degrees. I am happy to say that given the opportunities and right exposure, women in the rural areas can go places and do a lot to improve their lot,” she added.
She was representing her organization, Groots Kenya, on the subject “The power of digital technology for accountability in public and political affairs by rural women.” This was organized by Femnet- African Women’s Development and Communication Network.
Groots Kenya was founded in 1995 to empower women from rural areas. It is today’s movement that boasts of 3, 500 women followers spread across 14 counties.
The organization’s lead champion Esther Mwaura-Muiru said Groots has helped women realize their economic potential.
“Our long-term investment is to support the establishment of community-driven mechanisms and innovations that enable effective participation of grassroots women in decision making and leadership structures in order to ensure that resource allocation, policy and development programmes are responsive to community needs,” she explains.
Members of the organization have employed use of smart phones through WhatsApp and “access and exchange information that guide them in farming methods and marketing.”
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