The women behind the grass seed bank

The women behind the grass seed bank

The grass is always greener… when collaborating with a women’s group! The Maasai women are working hard maintaining and continuously improving the grass seed banks. This needs to be shared on this International Women’s Day!

Selling the grass seeds

The women sold part of their harvested grass seeds, a.o. to Justdiggit. We could use these seeds well for seeding the newly dug bunds in Kuku. This not only means income for the women, but also re-greening of other projects. A so called ‘win-win situation’! To sell even more seeds in the future, we help the women to find a sustainable market, so they could take more advantage of the economic value.

To bee!

The women of the Enkii group bought three beehives with the money earned from placing the fences around the grass seed bank. These hives are standing in the middle of the grass seed bank. The women have been trained in how to maintain these beehives and how they can harvest the honey.  By selling the honey they create an extra income!

The women are also looking into the possibility of using beehives for deterring the elephants from entering the grass seed banks. Elephants are terrified of bees! Did you know this? By placing the beehives in the fences of the grass seed bank, they aim to ward off the elephants. This prevents crushing of the grasses, increasing the harvest of the grass seeds!

Their own income

By selling the grass seeds and the honey, the Maasai women will thus earn their own income. This helps them to become more independent and enables them to have their own livelihood. Additionally, they can use the money for paying school fees, health care and food for their family. In this way they also experience the economic values of the grass seed bank projects!