For many women in Kenya’s patriarchal pastoral communities, financial independence is incredibly difficult to achieve. But local grassroots organization Patinaai Osim, with the Intrepid Foundation, is working to change that, starting with a brand new women’s hub in Kajiado county. Kenya-based writer Harriet Akinyi pays a visit.
The last time I was in Southern Kenya’s Kajiado county, I watched a troupe of Amboseli elephants move gracefully across the plains, their massive frames silhouetted against the snow capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
As a Kenyan myself, I have visited Kaijado many times. Sometimes for the elephants, other times to sit in the circular thatched Maasai Manyatta huts to listen to traditional stories woven into vigorous song and dance.
Kajiado county is a rare place where natural wonders exist alongside rich cultural heritage. But for many Maasai women in this region, life is marked by significant obstacles, especially when it comes to financial independence. Cultural traditions remain deeply valued, and yet more than 80% of Maasai women aren’t legally allowed to own land, and many have little or no access to education.
In times of recurring drought and famine, it is the women who often walk long distances for food, water, firewood, all while raising children and tending livestock. Because of this, many women find themselves stuck in a cycle of poverty and dependence.
Today I’m visiting Kajiado for a different reason—to celebrate the launch of the Titeeyio Hub, the latest community-focused project by grassroots organization Patinaai Osim.
Patinaai Osim, in collaboration with Intrepid Travel’s charity arm The Intrepid Foundation, has opened the hub as a space for women and youth to undertake training and empowering educational programs.
“We needed a hub because our dreams for the community had outgrown the small space we had,” says Semerian Sankori, Patinaai Osim’s founder and executive director.
“Even when we don’t have money in the house, I can still grow vegetables, sell them, and feed my family. Being here means my child can eat, and our household can run smoothly.”
- Alice Kapande, student
The hub is definitely more than just a building. It’s a living, breathing space where Maasai traditions, like beadwork and storytelling, can be preserved, while women also learn skills in sustainable tailoring, climate education and entrepreneurship. It’s also named in honor of Susan Titeeyio Sankori—Semerian’s late mother. According to Semerian, her mother’s life embodied resilience, generosity and a deep belief in women’s empowerment: . Everything the new Titeeyio hub stands for.
“Without [the hub], we could not run proper trainings, host our women and youth programs, or even gather with dignity,” says Semerian. “Most of our meetings were held under trees or in borrowed spaces. Now, we have a permanent home, a place where our community can learn, build skills, preserve culture, and grow together.”
The hub’s official opening was marked with a colorful ceremony beginning with prayers from the local Maasai elders, their presence signifying both cultural respect, and community acceptance of the hub.
Inside the hub’s workshop, I’m met with the steady hum of sewing machines. Rows of focused Maasai women sit, their colorful catching the light, as they guide the fabric beneath moving needles.
One of these women is 24-year-old Alice Kapande who joined the Eutaroto E Dupoto program—which focuses on livelihoods and economic resilience—three months ago. With one child at home and no employment, Alice was inspired by the progress of other women in the community.
“I saw women building houses, buying cattle, and improving their families. I wanted the same for myself,” she says. Alice now knows how to sew shirts, shorts, and trousers. She has also learned how to set up a small kitchen garden at home using compost from chicken droppings and vegetable waste.
“Even when we don’t have money in the house, I can still grow vegetables, sell them, and feed my family. Being here means my child can eat, and our household can run smoothly,” she tells me.
The Titeeyio hub was made possible, in part, through a 2024 Impact Grant from The Intrepid Foundation. This grant enabled Paatinai Osim to train more than 20 women and establish the Osim shop—now a stop on many Intrepid Travel Kenya itineraries.
For travelers, experiencing the hub enriches their journey, while for the local women, it has direct financial benefits. At the Osim shop women sell their beadwork, handbags, sandals and bags made from treated cow hide directly to visitors. This is significant because for years, Maasai women have been short-changed by middlemen, receiving only a fraction of the true value of their intricate beadwork.
“Each color of a bead carries meaning: White for peace and purity, red for strength and unity, blue for the sky that provides rain, green for the land that sustains us. Beads tell the story of who we are, and by teaching beadwork to younger generations, we are keeping that story alive,” Semerian tells me.
Here, the artisans are in control of the pricing and sales. It is economic empowerment, cultural preservation and dignity restored.
“For us as Maasai, when the land suffers, our way of life suffers too. That is why this hub is about protecting the environment and preserving culture.”
- Semerian Sankori, Patinaai Osim founder
“The Intrepid Foundation has left an enduring footprint in the community, one which will be felt for generations,” Semerian tells me. “They are not just sponsors, but clients. We supply [Intrepid Travel] with tote bags made by our women. This is what true partnership looks like.”
For Intrepid Travel and The Intrepid Foundation, the goal is not dependency but empowerment. “Our trust-based funding approach means communities decide on how best to use the funds,” says Samuel Karani, Country General Manager at Intrepid Travel East Africa.
“Success means a thriving hub that trains women, preserves Maasai heritage, creates economic opportunities and strengthens climate resilience,” he says. “Ultimately, it’s about community empowerment.”
Today 12 women are graduating—the hub’s first cohort—a historic milestone that lays the foundation for many graduation days to follow. I watch the women, beaming in colorful gowns, as they huddle with families and close friends, snapping photos to commemorate the moment. 68-year-old Hellen Orekai—mother of five and grandmother to many—is one of the graduates. She recalls her initial struggle to keep up with the class, but she persevered.
“Now I can make two bags in an hour,” she tells me, proudly holding her certificate. . “The training has helped me earn money to buy a tractor to till my land and goats for sustenance.”
“Soon, I’ll use my profit to fence my farm. Even when famine comes, I can sustain myself. I can now contribute to our groups and support church work.”
Pastoral communities, like the Maasai in Kenya, are no strangers to drought and famine. They’re directly impacted by the changing climate, and so Patinaai Osim offers a Climate Action and Environmental Justice program where women and youth are empowered to lead conservation efforts, manage water sources, restore ecosystems and defend ancestral lands.
For Patinaai Osim, environmental justice goes beyond planting trees—it’s about building a future, like Orekai has done for herself, where Indigenous people can thrive on the land.
“For us as Maasai, when the land suffers, our way of life suffers too,” says Semerian. “That is why this hub is about protecting the environment and preserving culture.”
Another graduate, Felistas Peyeyo, mother of four, echoes this sentiment. “When famine destroyed our livelihoods, this hub gave me hope,” she tells me. “When I finish here, I know I’ll have money to take care of my family.”
Her journey is far from easy though. As class prefect, she must arrive at the hub by eight in the morning, after walking miles from home, tending to the goats and getting her children off to school.
But Felistas is dedicated to completing her tailoring training, and now dreams of building a future for her family. “Now, instead of just sitting at home, I have skills that can change my life,” she says.
For generations, Maasai decisions have been made under trees. And the Titeeyio hub carries the same spirit. It is an important cultural anchor for these women and children, and an empowering initiative to witness. ‘Patinaai Osim’ is what Maasai women call someone who brings them joy—and that’s definitely what this hub is bringing to these communities.
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Harriet Akinyi is a Nairobi-based travel journalist with eight years of experience covering travel, culture and sustainable tourism in Africa. Passionate about storytelling and sustainability, her work has appeared in publications such as AFAR, Fodor’s, Skift, and Condé Nast Traveller.
